LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 1, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Ron Wilson, Chair, House Committee on Licensing
               & Administrative Procedures
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1923  by Brimer (Relating to economic incentives to
               attract horse racing events of national significance.),
               As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB1923, As Introduced:  positive impact of $0 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                                   $0  *
          *       2003                                    0  *
          *       2004                          (2,000,000)  *
          *       2005                                    0  *
          *       2006                                    0  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
**************************************************************************
*Fiscal    Probable Revenue     Probable Revenue         Probable        *
* Year     Gain/(Loss) from   Gain/(Loss) from New  Savings/(Cost) from  *
*        General Revenue Fund    General Revenue    New General Revenue  *
*                0001               Dedicated            Dedicated       *
*  2002                     $0                   $0                   $0 *
*  2003                      0                    0                    0 *
*  2004            (2,000,000)            2,000,000          (2,000,000) *
*  2005                      0                    0                    0 *
*  2006                      0                    0                    0 *
**************************************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would establish a "special account" for the payment or
reimbursement of a racing association's costs during the year in which it
hosts the Breeders' Cup. The bill would allow payment or reimbursement
of a racing association's costs for the Breeders' Cup, but the bill would
not provide a state agency with the appropriations authority to make the
payments or reimbursements.

If enacted, the bill would take effect September 1, 2001.
  
  
Methodology
  
The first year that a racing association in Texas could host the
Breeders' Cup is 2004. The venues for Breeders' Cup races through 2003
have already been selected. If a Texas race track were chosen for the
Breeders' Cup race in 2004, a Texas race track could not host the
Breeders' Cup for approximately another five years because the race
currently rotates among five race tracks nationally.

It is estimated that up to a $2,000,000 loss to the General Revenue Fund
would occur in fiscal year 2004, or any fiscal year thereafter in which a
Texas racing association were chosen to host the Breeders' Cup, due to
the diversion of pari-mutuel taxes from the General Revenue Fund to a new
"special account". The new special account is assumed to be a General
Revenue-Dedicated account by the Comptroller for the purposes of the
fiscal estimate.

Because no state agency would be provided with appropriations authority
for the new special account, it is unclear how the payments or
reimbursements to a racing association for its Breeders' Cup costs would
be made. For the purposes of the fiscal note, it is assumed that the
payments or reimbursements could be made.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
The Texas Association of Counties and the Texas Municipal League provided
information regarding the fiscal impact to units of local government. No
significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   476   Texas Racing Commission, 480   Department of
                   Economic Development, 304   Comptroller of Public
                   Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, JO, RT, HL, DB