LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
March 28, 2001
TO: Honorable Edmund Kuempel, Chair, House Committee on State
Recreational Resources
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB2244 by Bosse (Relating to the continuation and
functions of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.),
As Introduced
**************************************************************************
* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB2244, 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 0 *
* 2005 0 *
* 2006 0 *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
***********************************************************************
*Fiscal Probable Probable Probable Probable Change in *
* Year Savings/ Savings/ Savings/ Savings/ Number of *
* (Cost) from (Cost) from (Cost) from (Cost) from State *
* Game, Fish Game, Fish State Parks State Parks Employees *
* and Water and Water Account/ Account/ from FY 2001 *
* Safety Safety GR- GR- *
* Account/ Account/ Dedicated Dedicated *
* GR- GR- 0064 0064 *
* Dedicated Dedicated *
* 0009 0009 *
* 2002 $115,000 $(560,000) $115,000 $(150,000) 0.0 *
* 2003 115,000 (510,000) 115,000 (100,000) 0.0 *
* 2004 115,000 (510,000) 115,000 (100,000) 0.0 *
* 2005 115,000 (510,000) 115,000 (100,000) 0.0 *
* 2006 115,000 (510,000) 115,000 (100,000) 0.0 *
***********************************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) underwent Sunset review
during fiscal year 2000, and will be abolished on September 1, 2001,
unless continued by the Legislature. The bill amends the Parks and
Wildlife Code to continue the Department for 12 years, until September 1,
2013. The bill would also make the following statutory modifications:
*Requires TPWD to assess the state's natural and cultural conservation
and recreational resource needs, and base acquisition, divestiture and
major operational decisions on this assessment.
*Requires the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to establish policies
guiding the Department's relationship with an official foundation
partner.
*Directs the Parks and Wildlife Department to take public input before
major decisions are made by any committee that constitutes a quorum.
*Establishes standard business oversight mechanisms for the Department's
commercial ventures.
*Requires TPWD to evaluate outreach and education efforts for
effectiveness and duplication.
*Requires the Department to examine capital projects for appropriate
funding and staffing methods, and outsourcing potential.
*Directs TPWD to focus its conservation assistance to private landowners.
*Adopts the recommendations of the Texas Cultural Heritage Plan.
*Prohibits promotion of alcohol and tobacco in TPWD operations, events,
and publications, including the fishing and hunting regulations guide.
*Requires the Department to conduct a study of the Texas Gulf Coast
shrimp resources and industry.
Methodology
Section 14: Prohibits TPWD from entering into contracts that do not
contain a termination provision, and requires the Department to negotiate
to terminate or modify existing contracts without a termination date.
TPWD may have existing contracts that meet the criteria outlined in this
section, but because the terms of future negotiated contracts are
unknown, no revenue gain or cost savings is estimated.
Section 21: Prohibits TPWD from accepting ads in its publications or
sponsorship of its events from alcohol or tobacco-related businesses.
Contributions from alcohol and tobacco businesses that go towards funding
annual events like the Parks and Wildlife Expo and ongoing TPWD programs
total $510,000 per fiscal year. The prohibition would require an
offsetting reduction in costs or replacement of these funds with regular
appropriations from Game, Fish and Water Safety Account No. 9.
Section 23: Requires business planning and improved oversight of TPWD
commercial ventures. Based on fiscal year 2000 expenditures,
expenditures on commercial ventures total $2.3 million. It is assumed
that effective business planning and improved oversight of these ventures
generates a cost savings of 10 percent, or $230,000 per year. Based on
expenditures for existing commercial ventures, these savings would
accrue equally to Game, Fish and Water Safety Account No. 009, and the
State Parks Account No. 064. In order to assist the department in
establishing more effective business guidelines for commercial ventures,
it is anticipated that outside expertise will be required. The estimated
cost of this outside assistance is $100,000.
Section 28: Requires TPWD to develop a plan for the preservation and
development of historical sites, including conducting an archeological
survey of each site. This requirement is the result of the 1999
Cultural Heritage Plan, a joint evaluation of Texas historic sites
conducted by TPWD and the Texas Historical Commission. The total cost
of conducting the surveys is estimated to be $500,000, however, this
bill does not establish a time frame for completion of the surveys.
Assuming these surveys are completed over a five year period, results in
a cost to State Parks Account No. 64 of $100,000 per fiscal year for
these archeological surveys.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: 116 Sunset Advisory Commission, 802 Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department, 808 Texas Historical
Commission
LBB Staff: JK, CL, MF, ZS