| TO: | Honorable Robert Talton, Chair, House Committee on Urban Affairs |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1379 by Armbrister (Relating to the authority of a municipality to enforce water conservation and drought ordinances.), As Engrossed |
The bill would authorize a municipality with a population of more than 1,000 to impose a fine for violations of water conservation or drought ordinances by including the amount of the fine in the monthly water bill issued by the municipality if a schedule of fines is clearly displayed on the monthly bill. The bill would take effect September 1, 2003.
If a municipality lists the schedule of fines on the billing and has programming set up for including additional information on the bill, such as imposition of a fine, the fiscal impact is expected to be insignificant, although a savings in the collection process of fines for these types of violations would occur and likely help increase the revenue collected.
If a municipality chooses to impose fines via the monthly water bill, but does not already have the programming in place to do so, there would be initial programming costs; thereafter, the fiscal impact would be as described above.
It is anticipated a municipality would choose to implement the provisions of the bill only if it is determined to be beneficial to do so.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
| Source Agencies: | |
| LBB Staff: | JK, CL, DLBa
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