FISCAL NOTE, 85TH LEGISLATURE 1st CALLED SESSION - 2017
July 25, 2017
TO:
Honorable Lyle Larson, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB277 by Larson (Relating to the duty of the Texas Water Development Board to conduct studies of and prepare and submit reports on aquifer storage and recovery.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB277, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,149,340) through the biennium ending August 31, 2019.
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
2018
($847,895)
2019
($301,445)
2020
($301,445)
2021
($301,445)
2022
($301,445)
Fiscal Year
Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from General Revenue Fund 1
2018
($847,895)
2019
($301,445)
2020
($301,445)
2021
($301,445)
2022
($301,445)
Fiscal Year
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2017
2018
3.0
2019
3.0
2020
3.0
2021
3.0
2022
3.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would direct the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to conduct studies of aquifer storage and recovery projects identified in the state water plan or by interested parties. TWDB would be required to work with groundwater conservation districts, regional water planning groups, and potential sponsors of aquifer storage and recovery projects in conducting these studies. TWDB would be required to report the results of each study to regional water planning groups and to interested parties.
The bill would also direct TWDB to conduct a statewide survey of the most favorable areas for aquifer storage and recovery and to report on its findings by December 15, 2018. The subsection of the bill related to the statewide survey would expire on January 1, 2019.
The bill would take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds majority vote in each house; otherwise, the bill would take effect on December 1, 2017.
Methodology
TWDB estimates it will need to hire three additional geoscientists in order to conduct the studies required by the bill at an annual cost of $285,145 including salary, benefits, and necessary travel. One-time expenses for computer equipment and geographic information system (GIS) licenses for the three new FTEs are estimated at $45,450. Ongoing annual GIS maintenance fees for the three new FTEs are estimated to be $6,300. TWDB has included an additional $1,000 in the first year for an existing FTE to travel to new meetings for stakeholders that will need to take place.
Based on previous project costs, TWDB estimates that the cost to conduct a statewide survey is $500,000. TWDB estimates that it will need additional data storage from Data Center Services in the amount of $10,000 per year.
Technology
According to TWDB, there would be a cost of $10,000 per year for State Data Center services for data storage.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.