LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              April 17, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Eddie Lucio, Chair, Senate Committee on Border
               Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB 913 by Shapleigh (relating to the establishment and
               maintenance of one-stop border inspection stations by the
               Texas Department of Transportation in Brownsville,
               Laredo, and El Paso), Committee Report 1st House,
               Substituted
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB913, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted:  positive impact      *
*  of $0 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                                   $0  *
          *       2001                                    0  *
          *       2002                                    0  *
          *       2003                                    0  *
          *       2004                                    0  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
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*Fiscal      Probable Cost from State       Change in Number of State     *
* Year             Highway Fund               Employees from FY 1999      *
*                      0006                                               *
*  2000                      $(2,196,997)                             3.0 *
*  2001                      (22,776,997)                             3.0 *
*  2002                         (696,997)                             3.0 *
*  2003                         (696,997)                             3.0 *
*  2004                         (696,997)                             3.0 *
***************************************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would require the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to
establish and maintain an inspection station in Brownsville, in Laredo,
and in El Paso along a major highway at or near a border crossing from
Mexico so that all federal, state, and municipal agencies that regulate
the passage of commercial motor vehicles could be located in one place.
This would be based on the condition that the federal agencies involved
agree to the design of the facility at each location and agree to use
the facility at each location if built.
  
  
Methodology
  
TXDOT estimated costs for the Brownsville and Laredo inspection stations
to be approximately $5.2 million for each facility in fiscal year 2001.
The cost included weight in motion technology and illumination similar
to other new inspection stations. Cost for the El Paso inspection
station, also in fiscal year 2001, was estimated to be $7.5 million due
to increased right-of-way cost. TXDOT estimated $1.6 million per bridge
for Intelligent Transportation System, allowing for electronic motor
carrier credentialing and border clearance. Estimated costs for fiscal
year 2000 included design work at each facility of $400,000 per bridge
and engineering and contingency costs of $280,000 per bridge. TXDOT
included costs for one Engineer at each bridge to manage and oversee the
program.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   601   Department of Transportation
LBB Staff:         JK, DE, ML