LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              March 11, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Bill Ratliff, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB728 by Fraser (relating to implementation of a Texas
               Courthouse Preservation program), Committee Report 1st
               House, as amended
  
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*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB728, Committee Report 1st House, as amended:  negative impact of    *
*  $(100,000,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2001.           *
*                                                                        *
*  The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal      *
*  basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of    *
*  the bill.                                                             *
**************************************************************************
  
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
          ****************************************************
          *  Fiscal Year  Probable Net Positive/(Negative)   *
          *               Impact to General Revenue Related  *
          *                             Funds                *
          *       2000                        $(50,000,000)  *
          *       2001                         (50,000,000)  *
          *       2002                         (50,000,000)  *
          *       2003                         (50,000,000)  *
          *       2004                         (50,000,000)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
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*Fiscal      Probable        Probable        Probable       Change in     *
* Year    Savings/(Cost)     Revenue      Savings/(Cost) Number of State  *
*          from General    Gain/(Loss)    from New - GR   Employees from  *
*          Revenue Fund   from New - GR     Dedicated        FY 1999      *
*              0001         Dedicated                                     *
*  2000     $(50,000,000)     $50,000,000   $(50,000,000)             3.0 *
*  2001      (50,000,000)      50,000,000    (50,000,000)             5.0 *
*  2002      (50,000,000)      50,000,000    (50,000,000)             5.0 *
*  2003      (50,000,000)      50,000,000    (50,000,000)             5.0 *
*  2004      (50,000,000)      50,000,000    (50,000,000)             5.0 *
***************************************************************************
  
Technology Impact
  
The Historical Commission would require additional computers and
associated building/design software to administer the historic
courthouse preservation program.
  
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would require the Historical Commission (Commission) to
administer an historic courthouse preservation program and would
authorize the Commission to grant or loan money to preserve and restore
historic courthouses. The Commission would be required to adopt rules
necessary to implement the historic program, and to oversee and inspect
restoration projects.  Administrative costs would be limited to one
percent of the biennial appropriations for the program.

The bill would create the Historic Courthouse Preservation Fund account,
a new dedicated account in the general revenue fund.

The Commission would be required to appoint members to a newly-created
advisory committee, the Texas Courthouse Preservation Advisory
Committee.
  
  
Methodology
  
This estimate assumes that the biennial appropriation for the program
would total $100,000,000.  This would provide funds for approximately 50
projects in each year at an average cost per project of approximately
$1,000,000, as well as administrative costs for the Commission of
approximately $500,000 per year.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
It is expected that units of local government would benefit from
increased availability of grant and loan funding for courthouse
restoration/renovation projects.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, BB, JH