LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session May 2, 2001 TO: Honorable David Counts, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: SB1335 by Brown, J. E. "Buster" (Relating to certain river authorities and water districts, the codification of Acts creating and regulating the authorities and districts, and the creation of the Texas Water Advisory Council to review the authorities and districts.), As Engrossed ************************************************************************** * Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for * * SB1335, As Engrossed: negative impact of $(200,000) 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. * ************************************************************************** General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact: **************************************************** * Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) * * Impact to General Revenue Related * * Funds * * 2002 $(100,000) * * 2003 (100,000) * * 2004 (100,000) * * 2005 (100,000) * * 2006 (100,000) * **************************************************** All Funds, Five-Year Impact: *************************************************************************** *Fiscal Probable Savings/(Cost) from Change in Number of State * * Year General Revenue Fund Employees from FY 2001 * * 0001 * * 2002 $(100,000) 1.0 * * 2003 (100,000) 1.0 * * 2004 (100,000) 1.0 * * 2005 (100,000) 1.0 * * 2006 (100,000) 1.0 * *************************************************************************** Fiscal Analysis The bill would create the Texas Water Policy Council. The Council would conduct reviews of water districts and authorities as specified in the bill on a five-year cycle and provide reports on the findings of those reviews on a biennial basis. The Council would have a secretary. Other necessary staff would be provided by the TNRCC, the TWDB, the Parks and Wildlife Department and the Department of Agriculture. The bill would create the Interagency Water Policy Account, a special account in the General Revenue Fund. Methodology The Water Development Board would be required to provide staff to the Council and could incur some administrative costs associated with attending meetings and preparing reports required by the bill. However, these costs are not anticipated to be significant. Reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses of the Water Policy Council and the FTE provided by the bill would result in an estimated cost of $100,000 out of the General Revenue Fund in each fiscal year beginning in 2002. Local Government Impact No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: 582 Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, 580 Texas Water Development Board LBB Staff: JK, CL, TL, DW