Honorable Charles Perry, Chair, Senate Committee on Water & Rural Affairs
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1300 by Hunter (Relating to cultivated oyster mariculture; authorizing fees; requiring a permit; creating a criminal offense.), As Engrossed
The bill would have an indeterminate, but positive, fiscal impact to the state because the amount of licensing applications and associated revenues for the new cultivated oyster mariculture program and the number of convictions and penalty amounts increasing court cost revenues from new criminal penalties cannot be determined.
The bill would amend the Parks and Wildlife Code to authorize the Parks and Wildlife Commission to establish criteria, rules and fees for implementation of a cultivated oyster mariculture program in Texas coastal waters. The bill would also establish misdemeanor penalties. All licensing fees collected under the provisions of the bill would be deposited to the credit of General Revenue-Dedicated Game, Fish, and Water Safety Account No. 9 and twenty percent of the fees collected would be for a cultivated oyster mariculture cleanup subaccount. The cultivated oyster mariculture cleanup subaccount funds could only be used for the cleanup of illegal or abandoned cultivated oyster mariculture equipment and related debris in public waters. The bill would take effect September 1, 2019.
According to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the amount of licensing applications and associated revenues for the new cultivated oyster mariculture program and the number of convictions and penalty amounts increasing court cost revenues from new criminal penalties cannot be determined. Based on the analysis of the General Land Office, Department of State Health Services, Department of Agriculture, Commission on Environmental Quality, and Parks and Wildlife Department, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished utilizing existing resources.
This legislation would do one or more of the following: create or recreate a dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund, create or recreate a special or trust fund either in, with, or outside of the Treasury, or create a dedicated revenue source. The fund, account, or revenue dedication included in this bill would be subject to funds consolidation review by the current Legislature.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 551 Department of Agriculture, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department