LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 24, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Steven Wolens, Chair, House Committee on State
               Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2361  by Wolens (Relating to the abolition of the
               Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board and to the
               transfer of its powers and duties to the Public Utility
               Commission.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would abolish the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board
(TIF Board) and transfer its powers and duties to the Public Utility
Commission (PUC).  The abolishment of the TIF Board and transfer of the
fund's administration to the PUC could result in some one-time costs
related to the physical relocation of TIF Board personnel, records, and
equipment, as well as costs for integrating TIF Board responsibilities,
functions, computer systems and databases into the PUC environment.
However, these costs are expected to be balanced by savings related to
the elimination of TIF Board member expenses, including travel, and the
elimination of redundancy in fiscal/planning services, human resources,
and information technologies that would occur with the absorption of TIF
staff into PUC.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   367   Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board,
                   473   Public Utility Commission of Texas, 304
                   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, RB, PF, JM