| TO: | Honorable Rick Hardcastle, Chair, House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1357 by Miller (Relating to requiring a person who files a complaint against a concentrated animal feeding operation to pay a deposit.), As Introduced |
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require that a person who files a complaint against a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit holder must pay a $30 deposit at the time the complaint is filed. The bill would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to determine if the complaint is frivolous. If the TCEQ determines that the complaint is frivolous, the $30 deposit would be credited to the General Revenue Fund. Funds collected under this provision could only be appropriated for paying costs of investigating complaints against CAFOs. If it is determined that the complaint is not frivolous, then the $30 deposit would be returned to the person who made the deposit.
For fiscal years 1998 through 2002, the the TCEQ reports having received approximately 1,637 complaints against CAFOs, or an average of 409 complaints per year. The amount of revenue retained from these deposits is not expected to be significant. In addition, it is estimated that any additional administrative costs the agency would incur in determining whether complaints are frivolous could be absorbed within the TCEQ's existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 304 Comptroller Of Public Accounts, 582 Commission On Environmental Quality
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| LBB Staff: | JK, CL, TL
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