LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 14, 2009

TO:	Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB4042 by Christian (Relating to county transportation access plans.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would add Subchapter E to Chapter 615, Local Government Code, to require a transportation access plan approved by a county to be submitted to the Railroad Commission or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) before the approval, issuance, or renewal of a license, permit, or registration for an injection well for any location within the unincorporated area of the county. The access plan would be required to provide for recovery by the county for any additional costs to the county for construction or maintenance of county roads for access to the licensed, permitted, or registered site. Any additional costs would be determined by an independent licensed professional engineer. By order of the commissioners court, a county may waive the requirements of the subchapter.

The Railroad Commission and TCEQ report that they would have to adjust their permit requirements and rules, and staff would have to review the location of a well, but the agencies assume these actions could be achieved with existing resources.

Local Government Impact

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

Source Agencies:

455 Railroad Commission, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality

LBB Staff:

JOB, DB