Honorable John Cyrier, Chair, House Committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB661 by King, Ken (Relating to the release of deer by certain deer breeding facilities to low-fenced acreage.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB661, As Introduced: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2021. However, there would be an impact of ($1,009,951) through the biennium to General Revenue-Dedicated Game, Fish, and Water Safety Account No. 9.
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
2020
$0
2021
$0
2022
$0
2023
$0
2024
$0
Fiscal Year
Probable (Cost) from Game,Fish,Water Safety Ac 9
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2019
2020
($480,816)
6.0
2021
($529,135)
9.0
2022
($678,311)
12.0
2023
($828,761)
15.0
2024
($980,531)
18.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Parks and Wildlife Code related to the release of deer by certain deer breeding facilities to low-fenced acreage. The bill would authorize deer breeding facilities with the highest transfer category status to release deer to a low-fenced site with at least 5,000 acres of contiguous land and that is within 200 miles from the deer breeding facility.
Methodology
Based on analysis of the Parks and Wildlife Department, the fiscal impact to the agency under the provisions of the bill would be $1,009,952 for the 2020-21 biennium, and a five year impact of $3,497,554 in General Revenue-Dedicated Game, Fish, and Water Safety Account No. 9. Costs include salaries for 6.0 FTEs in fiscal year 2020 and an additional 3.0 FTEs in each subsequent fiscal year, other operating costs, travel, equipment, and benefits.
The Parks and Wildlife Department estimates the bill provisions would require six Fish and Wildlife Technicians I in fiscal year 2020 and three additional Fish and Wildlife Technicians I in each subsequent fiscal years to collect tissue samples from hunter-harvested and road killed deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing within a certain distance from the perimeter of low-fenced acreage used for the release of breeder deer.
Under current rules, there are three transfer category statuses applied to deer breeding facilities. TC1 is currently the highest available status and requires the deer breeding facility to meet certain criteria related to the detection of CWD. The rules in the Texas Administrative Code do not currently define the term "low-fenced" or "high-fenced." However, the code currently requires that release sites be surrounded by a fence of at least seven feet in height and capable of retaining released deer.
According to the Parks and Wildlife Department, it is estimated there would be six release sites that would meet the qualifications under the bill provisions in fiscal year 2020 and three additional release sites each subsequent fiscal year. In the 12 month period prior to implementation of the rule requiring release sites be surrounded by a fence of at least seven feet in height and capable of retaining released deer, there were approximately 40 sites that would meet the qualifications under the bill provisions.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
554 Animal Health Commission, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department