LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 2, 2005

TO:	Honorable Rick Hardcastle, Chair, House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB876 by Burnam (Relating to the use in food of genetically engineered non-food materials.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill prohibits the genetic engineering of food crops or livestock engineered to produce drugs, chemicals or other nonfood materials, and prohibits the transportation or release of these genetically engineered crops or livestock. 

 

According to the Department of State Health Services it is impossible to differentiate between those crops/livestock genetically engineered legally and those genetically engineered to produce drugs, chemicals etc. and therefore there is no way to determine which entities would need to be regulated.   Further, the agency is not aware of any such genetic experimentation being done in the State of Texas at this time.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

537 Department of State Health Services, 551 Department of Agriculture, 554 Animal Health Commission

LBB Staff:

JOB, WK, ZS, JF