LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              April 14, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Bill Ratliff, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB1841 by Ratliff (relating to the abolition of the Texas
               Eminent Scholars Program), As Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Fiscal Analysis

The bill would repeal the Texas Eminent Scholars program.  Because this
program has not been funded by the state since 1984, there is no fiscal
implication of repealing the program.  If donors request eligible gifts
to be returned, institutions of higher education would forfeit the
donations.

Methodology

A survey by the Legislative Budget Board indicates that $201.8 million in
eligible gifts have been made through January 1999.  The bill would
require institutions of higher education to notify each person who made
a gift under the Eminent Scholars Program.  The person making an
eligible gift could request the gift be returned to the person.  If all
persons making eligible gifts requested their respective gifts be
returned, institutions would forfeit $201.8 million.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   781   Higher Education Coordinating Board, 304
                   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, BB, LD, PF