LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                                May 8, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on
               State Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2684  by Kuempel (Relating to the authority of the
               Texas Transportation Commission to acquire certain
               protected property.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would amend the Transportation Code to prohibit the
Transportation Commission (TTC) from acquiring any property for use as a
disposal site for dredged material from the Laguna Madre before September
1, 2003, if the property was subject to a habitat conservation plan on
October 1, 1977.  The bill would also require the House Committee on Land
and Resource Management to conduct an interim study on placement and use
of options for dredged material from the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway
(GIW) and report its findings and recommendations to the Speaker of the
House of Representatives and the Legislature no later than November 1,
2002.

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated because it
is estimated that the TTC would not be able to acquire land for upland
disposal sites in less than 2 years along the Laguna Madre's 80 mile
length of the GIW due to the required acquisition processes regardless of
the provisions of the bill.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2001.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, RB, RT, MW