LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 19, 2009

TO:	Honorable Frank Corte, Jr., Chair, House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB143 by McClendon (Relating to granting certain counties regulatory authority around military facilities in certain circumstances; providing a penalty.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would add Subchapter M to Chapter 231, Local Government Code, to authorize the county commissioners court in counties that have unincorporated areas within five miles of the boundary of a military installation to regulate platting or clearing certain tracts of land within those areas. The bill includes requirements those counties must follow when establishing regulations and when regulating those areas, including conducting a survey of endangered species in an affected area and submitting a copy of the survey to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The commissioners court would be allowed to set and collect a fee to cover the costs of administering the new subchapter.

The bill would also create as a misdemeanor offense any violation of orders or regulations established by the commissioners court relating to the affected unincorporated areas. An offense would be punishable by a fine of not less than $500 or more than $1,000.

Local Government Impact

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

Source Agencies:

802 Parks and Wildlife Department

LBB Staff:

JOB, KK, DB