LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 17, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Rene Oliveira, Chair, House Committee on Ways &
               Means
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB3319  by Ramsay (Relating to the operation and
               performance of appraisal districts and the determination
               of school district property values.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB3319, As Introduced:  negative impact of $(17,105,000) through      *
*  the biennium ending August 31, 2003.                                  *
**************************************************************************
  
The bill would amend the Tax Code and Government Code to require the
Comptroller to audit, as soon as practicable, the performance of an
appraisal district upon a finding that an appraisal district's market
value of property was not valid.  The bill would allow the Comptroller to
order the development, submission, and implementation of an improvement
plan to address the deficiencies found in an audit.

The bill would take effect immediately upon enactment, assuming that it
received the requisite two-thirds majority votes in both houses of the
Legislature.  Otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2001.
  
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
          ****************************************************
          *  Fiscal Year  Probable Net Positive/(Negative)   *
          *               Impact to General Revenue Related  *
          *                             Funds                *
          *       2002                         $(9,754,000)  *
          *       2003                          (7,351,000)  *
          *       2004                        (141,158,000)  *
          *       2005                        (299,550,000)  *
          *       2006                        (466,974,000)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
***************************************************************************
*Fiscal      Probable        Probable        Probable        Probable     *
* Year    Savings/(Cost)     Revenue         Revenue         Revenue      *
*           to General    Gain/(Loss) to  Gain/(Loss) to  Gain/(Loss) to  *
*          Revenue Fund  School Districts    Counties         Cities      *
*              0001                                                       *
*  2002      $(9,754,000)              $0              $0              $0 *
*  2003       (7,351,000)   (156,236,000)    (36,587,000)    (36,636,000) *
*  2004     (141,158,000)   (168,735,000)    (76,101,000)    (76,204,000) *
*  2005     (299,550,000)   (181,984,000)   (118,717,000)   (118,878,000) *
*  2006     (466,974,000)   (196,023,000)   (164,621,000)   (164,844,000) *
***************************************************************************
  

The estimated fiscal implications to general revenue reflect the
Comptroller's estimated dynamic tax feedback effects created by the
reduction in industry and consumer tax burdens.  The dynamic tax feedback
effects are shown only with respect to the losses incurred by the
General Revenue Fund 0001.
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
A school district, city, and county property tax levy loss was projected
for fiscal 2003 based on a reduction in the statewide weighted average
percentage of market value from 99.9 percent to 99.0 percent.  Although
the bill could have an immediate effect, a reduction in the statewide
weighted average percentage of market value would not occur until fiscal
2003 because appraisals for previous fiscal years would already be
substantially complete at the time the bill could take effect.   One
percent per year in tax base reductions were projected for the remainder
of the projection period, resulting in increasing levy losses.
  
  
Methodology
  
This estimate reflects the Comptroller's estimated fiscal impact on the
state and units of local government.

A loss to the state because of increased funding requirements was
projected for fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2003 based on existing below-market
property appraisals, as measured by past property value studies.  The
school district losses from fiscal 2003 and forward were shifted to the
state in fiscal 2004 and forward through the school funding formula,
which operates with a one-year lag. 

Once the static fiscal impact was estimated, the dynamic fiscal impact
was calculated using a Texas-specific general equilibrium model to
distribute among the state's economic sectors the savings that otherwise
would have been paid in taxes by consumers.  The revenue feedback
calculation was based on the historical relationship between state tax
revenues and associated economic factors.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
The fiscal impacts on units of local government are reflected in the
above table.
  
  
Source Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency, 304   Comptroller of
                   Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, SD, WP, BR