LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 26, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Irma Rangel, Chair, House Committee on Higher
               Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB658  by Junell (Relating to authorizing the issuance of
               revenue bonds for certain public institutions of higher
               education.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB658, As Introduced:  negative impact of $(36,554) through the       *
*  biennium ending August 31, 2003.                                      *
*                                                                        *
*  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                *
          *       2002                            $(16,834)  *
          *       2003                             (19,720)  *
          *       2004                             (19,300)  *
          *       2005                             (18,880)  *
          *       2006                             (18,460)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
         *****************************************************
         * Fiscal Year      Probable Savings/(Cost) from      *
         *                      General Revenue Fund          *
         *                              0001                  *
         *      2002                                $(16,834) *
         *      2003                                 (19,720) *
         *      2004                                 (19,300) *
         *      2005                                 (18,880) *
         *      2006                                 (18,460) *
         *****************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill authorizes the Board of Regents of Texas A&M University System
to issue $100,000 of revenue bonds for Texas A&M International
University, and would authorize the Board of Regents of the University of
Houston System to issue $100,000 of revenue bonds for the University of
Houston-Clear Lake.  The bond proceeds would be used for the
acquisitions, purchase, construction, renovation or equipping of
buildings, facilities, and infrastructure.  These bonds would be payable
from pledged revenue, including student tuition.

These bonds would not be general obligations of the State.  However, the
issuance of these bonds would have fiscal implications for the State.
Although tuition income is pledged against the bonds, historically the
Legislature has appropriated General Revenue to reimburse institutions
of higher education for tuition used to pay the debt service.  It is
assumed that the Legislature would continue this policy.
  
  
Methodology
  
It is assumed that the bonds would be issued on September 1, 2001 at a
seven percent interest rate, with a 20-year level debt service
amortization.  Based on calculations prepared by the Texas Public Finance
Authority, the amount of debt service payments for fiscal years 2002 and
2003 would be $16,834 and $19,720, respectively.  The total estimated
amount of debt service from fiscal year 2002 to fiscal year 2021 is
estimated to be $376,914.

No amounts are included for operations and maintenance costs related to
additional facilities.  Operations and maintenance costs are provided to
general academic institutions based on predicted square feet not actual
square feet.  However, if the increased space resulted in additional
enrollment, it is possible that the predicted square feet and therefore
operations and maintenance costs would increase.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   347   Texas Public Finance Authority, 352   Texas
                   Bond Review Board, 781   Texas Higher Education
                   Coordinating Board
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, PF, DB