LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
May 9, 2001
TO: Honorable J.E. "Buster" Brown, Chair, Senate Committee on
Natural Resources
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB3111 by Zbranek (Relating to occupational licenses and
registrations issued by the Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission.), As Engrossed
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB3111, As Engrossed: There should be no significant fiscal *
* impact to General Revenue related funds 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. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Net Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $(74,078) *
* 2003 (74,078) *
* 2004 (74,078) *
* 2005 (74,078) *
* 2006 (74,078) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Probable Probable Probable *
* Year Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue *
* Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) Gain/(Loss) *
* from General from Clean Air from Water from Waste *
* Revenue Fund Account/ Resource Management *
* 0001 GR-Dedicated Management/ Account/ *
* 0151 GR-Dedicated GR-Dedicated *
* 0153 0549 *
* 2002 $(74,078) $(32,479) $(404,760) $(183,521) *
* 2003 (74,078) (32,479) (404,760) (183,521) *
* 2004 (74,078) (32,479) (404,760) (183,521) *
* 2005 (74,078) (32,479) (404,760) (183,521) *
* 2006 (74,078) (32,479) (404,760) (183,521) *
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*Fiscal Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) *
* Year from TNRCC Occupational from TNRCC Occupational *
* Licensing/ GR-Dedicated Licensing/ GR-Dedicated *
* 0468 0468 *
* 2002 $694,838 $(30,000) *
* 2003 694,838 (30,000) *
* 2004 694,838 (30,000) *
* 2005 694,838 (30,000) *
* 2006 694,838 (30,000) *
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Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
(TNRCC) to establish requirements and uniform procedures for issuing
licenses and registrations for occupational licensing programs. Those
uniform procedures and requirements would be provided for in a new
chapter in the Water Code, Chapter 37. All occupational licensing fees
collected by the TNRCC under the new Chapter 37 would be deposited to
the General Revenue-dedicated Occupational Licensing Account No. 468.
The bill also would exempt geoscientists from TNRCC fees.
Methodology
Currently, occupational licensing fees collected by the TNRCC are
deposited to the General Revenue Fund and four separate General
Revenue-dedicated Accounts: the Clean Air Account No. 151; the Water
Resource Management Account No. 153; the Occupational Licensing Account
No. 468; and the Waste Management Account No. 549. Upon passage of the
bill, all such fees would be deposited to the Occupational Licensing
Account No. 468. The increase in revenue to the Occupational Licensing
Account No. 468 would be equal to the decrease in revenues to the General
Revenue Fund and three remaining General Revenue-dedicated accounts, as
shown in the tables above. Currently there are approximately 400
geoscientists registered by the TNRCC who pay a $150 licensing fee every
two years deposited to the credit of GR Account TNRCC Occupational
Licensing Account No. 468. It is anticipated that exempting geoscientists
from this licensing requirement will result in an annual lost of $30,000
to this GR Account.
The revenue changes are based on revenue estimates for occupational
licensing fees for the 2002-2003 biennium provided by the TNRCC.
Upon passage of the bill, appropriations to the TNRCC would need to be
adjusted to reflect the availability of funds in the various affected
accounts.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: 582 Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission,
460 Texas Board of Professional Engineers, 304
Comptroller of Public Accounts, 501 Texas
Department of Health
LBB Staff: JK, CL, TL