LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 8, 2003

TO:	Honorable Anna Mowery, Chair, House Committee on Land & Resource Management
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2044 by McReynolds (Relating to the powers and duties of the General Land Office and the accounting and disposition of state-owned real property.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would revise and reorganize Chapter 31 of the Natural Resources Code, relating to the asset management duties of the General Land Office (GLO).   The bill would add the authority for GLO to charge fees for other services and products not specifically listed in Section 31.064, Natural Resources Code. The bill would require state agencies to report directly to the Texas Historical Commission buildings of a certain age rather than go through GLO to report the data.

The bill would exempt certain properties from review in the GLO real property study, including the real property of the Texas Historical Commission, the Alamo, the French Legation, the Governor's Mansion, the State Cemetery, and property administered by the State Preservation Board.

The bill would repeal Natural Resources Code 31.152, establishing an asset management division at the GLO.  However, the agency would continue to perform the same or similar functions, which could be delegated to another divsion within the General Land Office.  The bill would repeal the following subchapters in Chapter 31, Natural Resources Code: Subchapter F grants relating to improvements on leased property, Subchapter H regarding the use of State Energy Resources, and Subchapter I relating to real estate transactions not authorized by the Legislature.  However, the agency indicates that the repeal of Subchapter H is a drafting error, therefore no fiscal implications are estimated for the repeal of the in-kind gas program. 

This bill would take effect immediately upon enactment, assuming that it receives the requisite two-thirds majority votes in both houses of the Legislature. Otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2003

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.  This assumes that, as indicated by the agency, the repeal of the in-kind gas program is a drafting error.

Source Agencies:	304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 808 Historical Commission
LBB Staff:	JK, CL, MS