Honorable Charles Perry, Chair, Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SJR74 by Parker (proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the centennial parks conservation fund.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined because appropriations, transfers, deposits, investment and interest earnings, gifts, grants, or donations to the credit of the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund are unknown at this time.
The cost to the state for publication of the resolution is $204,406.
The proposed amendment to Article III of the Texas Constitution would create the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund ("Fund") as a fund outside of the state treasury. The Fund would consist of appropriations; transfers or deposits; investment and interest earnings; and gifts, grants, and donations. The amendment specifies that for the purposes of Section 22, Article VIII, of the Constitution, money in the Fund is dedicated by the Constitution and that an appropriation for the purpose of depositing money to the credit of the Fund is treated as if it were an appropriation dedicated by the Constitution.
The amendment would specify that money in the Fund could only be used for the creation and improvement of state parks. The amendment would permit the Legislature to appropriate money from the Fund to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for these purposes.
The proposed constitutional amendment would be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2023.
Based on information provided by the TPWD and the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the fiscal implications of the amendment cannot be determined because amounts of any appropriations, transfers, deposits, investment and interest earnings, gifts, grants, or donations that would be deposited to the credit of the Fund are unknown.
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 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, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department