LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 20, 2005

TO:	Honorable Frank Madla, Chair, Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB266 by Smith, Wayne (Relating to the time for processing certain county permits.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would add Section 233.901 to the Local Government Code to set deadlines for a county with a population of 3.3 million or more to issue or deny a permit to construct or improve a building or other structure in the county. The bill would also set deadlines for notifying permit applicants if the county cannot meet the deadlines for issuing or denying the permit. If a county were to miss deadlines, it would not be allowed to collect permit fees asociated with the application and would be required to refund any fees previously collected regarding the application. Based on the 2000 federal census, the population criteria would apply only to Harris County.

The bill would add Section 233.902 to the Local Government Code to establish criteria for determining the time in which a county may require a permit for the subdivision of land is considered to have expired.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2005.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JOB, WK, DLBa