| TO: | Honorable Frank Corte Jr., Chair, House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB3989 by Merritt (Relating to the waiver of state park entrance fees for active members of the Texas State Guard.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Parks and Wildlife Code relating to the waiver of state park entrance fees for active members of the Texas State Guard. Total revenue loss to the General Revenue-Dedicated State Parks Account No. 64 is estimated to be $1,000 in fiscal year 2010 and $1,046 in fiscal year 2011 and each year thereafter, and is not a significant fiscal implication to the State.
According to the Texas State Guard headquarters office, there are an estimated 1,600 active guardsmen. According to data from the US Census, it is estimated that the total adult population in Texas will be approximately 17,864,000 by 2010. The calculated rate of total active guardsmen to total adult population is (1,600/17,864,000) = 0.009 percent. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) charges state park entrance fees per person. For fiscal year 2009, TPWD estimates that total revenue from entrance fees for all state parks will be $10,609,704. Using data going back to fiscal year 2004, the average growth rate in revenue has been 4.68 percent. Using this data, the estimated revenue for fiscal year 2010 is ($10,609,704 x 1.0468) = $11,106,238 and the estimated revenue for fiscal year 2011 is ($11,106,238 x 1.0468) = $11,626,009. For purposes of this analysis, growth assumptions were not applied to subsequent fiscal years. Multiplying the .009 percent by the revenue estimate for each fiscal year will determine the revenue loss associated with the waiver of park entrance fees for active members of the Texas State Guard, as follows: 1) Fiscal year 2010 - $11,106,238 x 0.009 percent = $1,000; and 2) Fiscal year 2011 and each year thereafter - $11,626,009 x 0.009 percent = $1,046.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2009.
| Source Agencies: | 802 Parks and Wildlife Department
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KK, TB
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