LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 30, 2003

TO:	Honorable Harvey Hilderbran, Chair, House Committee on State Cultural and Recreational Resources
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB305 by Puente (Relating to the protection of public freshwater areas; providing a penalty. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Local Government Impact

A county or a river authority would incur costs to develop a local river access plan to submit to the Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). However, the provisions of the bill would allow these entities to collect a fee from a person accessing a protected freshwater area, which could offset some of the costs of plan development.  These fees would also generate revenue for the county or river authority to offset the 20 percent fee collected by TPWD for assistance in developing the local plan.

 

Since local law enforcement entities are required to enforce the provisions of the bill, it is possible that there would be minor fiscal implications to these agencies, such as county sheriff offices or city police departments, when there is unauthorized motor vehicle use in protected freshwater areas.

Source Agencies:	305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 601 Department of Transportation, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department
LBB Staff:	JK, CL, ZS, KG