LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 22, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable David Counts, Chair, House Committee on Natural
               Resources
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2690  by Walker (Relating to enforcement measures
               available to groundwater conservation districts.), As
               Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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The bill would allow groundwater conservation districts to set, by rule,
reasonable civil penalties for breach of any rule of the district, not
to exceed $5,000 per day, per violation.  Each day of a continuing
violation would represent a separate violation.  The district would be
allowed to seek and the court authorized to grant a penalty equal to 115
percent of the economic benefit gained from the violation.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   582   Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
LBB Staff:         JK, CL, DB