LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                                May 4, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Edmund Kuempel, Chair, House Committee on State
               Recreational Resources
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB305  by Harris (Relating to the continuation and
               functions of the Parks and Wildlife Department.),
               Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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This bill continues the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for
another twelve years.  None of the provisions of this bill have
significant fiscal implications.  Some of the provisions that have fiscal
implications are discussed below.

Section 15:  Requires all TPWD contracts for publications to meet the
following conditions:  include a termination provision; provide TPWD
final approval over publication content, including advertising; and,
require a contractor to provide TPWD with copies of publications that
contain advertising that is appropriate for viewing by youth upon
request.   The Parks and Wildlife Commission is required to establish by
rule the types of advertising that are appropriate for viewing by youth.


Section 24:  Requires TPWD to conduct an inventory of all land and water
associated with historical, natural, recreational and wildlife sites, and
to use it to develop a Land and Water Resources Conservation and
Recreation Plan.  This represents an extension of a current strategic
planning process for which the agency has already under taken, the
contract with Texas Tech University for the 21st Century Parks and
Wildlife plan.  As a result, this requirement should have no significant
fiscal impact on agency resources.

Section 25:  Requires business planning and improved oversight of TPWD
commercial ventures.  Based on fiscal year 2000 expenditures,
expenditures on commercial ventures total $2.3 million.  It is assumed
that effective business planning and improved oversight of these ventures
generates a cost savings of 10 percent, or $230,000 per year.   Based on
expenditures for existing commercial ventures, these savings would
accrue equally to Game, Fish and Water Safety Account No. 009, and the
State Parks Account No. 064.  In order to assist the department in
establishing more effective business guidelines for commercial ventures,
it is anticipated that outside expertise will be required.  The estimated
cost of this outside assistance is $100,000.  The cost savings generated
should be sufficient to offset this additional cost.

Section 34: Requires a $3 increase in oyster bed lease rates, from $3 to
$6 per acre; caps the oyster lease term at 15 years; and establishes a
lease renewal fee of $200.  This fee change should generate an
additional $6,981 per year to Game, Fish and Water Safety Account No. 9.
  
Technology Impact
  
None.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   802   Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 116
                   Sunset Advisory Commission
LBB Staff:         JK, CL, SC, ZS