LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 21, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Gary Walker, Chair, House Committee on Land &
               Resource Management
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB7  by Chisum (Relating to creating the Office of Rural
               Community Affairs.), Committee Report 1st House,
               Substituted
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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It is assumed that any additional costs, above the amounts transferred to
the Office of Rural Community Affairs  from other agencies as specified
in the bill, can be met through interagency contracts.  The bill would
create a Health Careers Education fund in the State Treasury. The fund
would consist of gifts, grants and donations and principal and interest
payments on forgivable loans.  The bill would also create the
Outstanding Rural Scholar fund in the State Treasury.  The fund would
consist of legislative appropriations, gifts, grants, donations and
principal and interest payments on forgivable loans.
  
Local Government Impact
  
The provisions of the bill would have a positive impact on rural
government entities that would vary depending on what each rural
community's level of need is.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts, 324   Texas
                   Department of Human Services, 332   Texas Department
                   of Housing and Community Affairs, 367
                   Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board, 473
                   Public Utility Commission of Texas, 475   Office of
                   Public Utility Counsel, 480   Department of Economic
                   Development, 501   Texas Department of Health, 50A
                   Center for Rural Health Initiatives, 551   Texas
                   Department of Agriculture, 555   Texas Agricultural
                   Extension Service, 580   Texas Water Development
                   Board, 781   Texas Higher Education Coordinating
                   Board, 802   Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
LBB Staff:         JK, CL, RM, ER, DB