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 ************************************************************************** * 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: *************************************************************************** *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