LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
March 26, 2013

TO:
Honorable Robert Nichols, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB1017 by Paxton (Relating to the operation of state travel information centers by private and nonprofit entities.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1017, As Introduced: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2015.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2014 $0
2015 $0
2016 $0
2017 $0
2018 $0




Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2014 $0
2015 $0
2016 $0
2017 $0
2018 $0




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
State Highway Fund
6 		Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2013
2014 $0 0.0
2015 $3,500,000 (61.0)
2016 $3,500,000 (61.0)
2017 $3,500,000 (61.0)
2018 $3,500,000 (61.0)

The table above assumes travel information center operations would be transferred to a nonprofit or private entity. The table below assumes travel information centers would be converted into unstaffed rest areas.



Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
State Highway Fund
6 		Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2013
2014 $0 0.0
2015 $2,500,000 (61.0)
2016 $2,500,000 (61.0)
2017 $2,500,000 (61.0)
2018 $2,500,000 (61.0)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would implement recommendations in the report "Evaluate the Benefits of and Limit the Use of State Highway Funds for Travel Information Centers" in the Legislative Budget Board's Government Effectiveness and Efficiency Report submitted to the Eighty-third Texas Legislature, 2013.

The bill would remove the operation of travel information centers from the list of costs for which the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) may use highway revenues, unless the center is operated as an unstaffed rest area. The bill would require TxDOT to issue a request for proposals to private and nonprofit entities for the operation of a travel information center. The bill would require TxDOT to operate a center as an unstaffed rest area if none of the offers are acceptable or comply with federal law.


Methodology

This analysis assumes TxDOT would continue to spend State Highway Funds to maintain the travel information centers. According to TxDOT, operations includes items such as salaries, janitorial services, consumable supplies, in-state travel, and uniforms. This analysis assumes it would require one fiscal year to complete the transfer of travel information center operations.

TxDOT reports transferring travel information center operations to a private or nonprofit entity would save $3.5 million per fiscal year in State Highway Funds.

TxDOT reports operating travel information centers as an unstaffed rest area would result in a savings of $2.5 million per fiscal year in State Highway Funds from reducing costs for salaries, consumable supplies, in-state travel, and uniforms. The savings difference of $1.0 million is due to the cost of providing janitorial services in unstaffed reset areas.


Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
601 Department of Transportation
LBB Staff:
UP, AG, JI, MMe