LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                            February 19, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Gary Walker, Chair, House Committee on Land &
               Resource Management
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB984  by Grusendorf (Relating to the exemption of
               tax-exempt property of religious organizations from
               municipal platting requirements.), As Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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The bill would exempt tax-exempt property of religious organizations from
platting requirements.

The Comptroller's office contacted the cities of Grapevine and Corpus
Christi for information to develop cost estimates for this bill.
Officials in both cities said the bill would cause numerous difficulties
in regulation.  If a religious organization built in an established
neighborhood, the city might have to come in afterwards to provide
infrastructure or traffic control. There could be problems in protecting
flood-prone and wetland areas.
  
Local Government Impact
  
The actual cost of filing a plat is minimal. There could be additional
costs experienced by cities as a result of possible lawsuits that could
be generated and from having to come in and provide infrastructure that
would have been the property owner's responsibility under the platting
process.  Given the limited number of tax-exempt religious organizations
that may qualify under the provisions of this bill, it is anticipated
that no significant fiscal implication to units of local government
would be incurred.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, CL, BR