LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 17, 2013

TO:
Honorable Troy Fraser, Chair, Senate Committee on Natural Resources
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2133 by Larson (Relating to the public policy for the use of innovative and alternative water treatment technologies for water development purposes and to the establishment of the Texas Center for Innovative Desalination Technology.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Water Code by adding two new public policy factors to provide for the conservation and development of the state's natural resources by facilitating innovative and alternative water treatment technologies to meet the natural resource needs of the state.  Both the Water Development Board and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality indicate bill provisions would not result in a fiscal implication to the agencies.

The bill would amend the Education Code relating to the establishment of the Texas Center for Innovative Desalination Technology ("Center") as a partnership between the University of Houston, The University of Texas at Brownsville, and The University of Texas at El Paso.  Under the provisions of the bill, the Center is established as a partnership between the three institutions with control and management vested with the board of regents of the University of Houston System and the board of regents of The University of Texas System and a memorandum of understanding between the institutions.  Under the provisions of the bill, certain faculty and staff from the institutions may participate in the Center's activities and the boards may solicit, accept, and administer gifts and grants from any public or private sources.  The provisions of the bill regarding this center expire on September 1, 2023.  According to information provided by The University of Texas System Administration and University of Houston System, the institutions can absorb the cost of implementation of the bill within existing resources.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2013.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 592 Soil and Water Conservation Board, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 783 University of Houston System Administration, 580 Water Development Board
LBB Staff:
UP, TB, EH, SZ