LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 12, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Tom Ramsay, Chair, House Committee on County
               Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1863  by Kuempel (Relating to the registration fee for
               dogs required by certain counties.), As Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would allow a county to set a range of fees for dog registration
from $1 to $5 per year.  Current law allows an annual registration fee
of $1.  The Comptroller of Public Accounts found that counties actually
charge anywhere from $1 up to $15 per dog per year. Some counties have
different registration fees based on if the dog is neutered or not and
offer a discount to dog owners over the age of 65.

If a county is currently charging an annual fee of $1 and increases the
fee to $5, there would be a revenue gain. In those counties already
charging $5, the revenue would remain the same, and those counties
currently charging more than $5 would experience a revenue loss upon
compliance with the proposed fee structure.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, DB