LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION April 29, 2025 TO: Honorable Cody Harris, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB4212 by Curry (Relating to the establishment, administration, and use of the Texas land, water, and wildlife conservation account.), As Introduced The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the amounts of any transfers, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Account being unknown. In addition, the timing, amount, and type of projects or grants that may be funded and the necessary associated administrative costs are also unknown.Although this bill would not make an appropriation, it would establish the basis for an appropriation. The bill would establish the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Board (board), the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Governance Committee (Committee), and create the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Account (account), which would be a separate account within the General Revenue Fund. The bill would require the General Land Office (GLO) to enter into an agreement with the board for the management, operation, and financial support of the account in accordance with the expectations and goals established by the board.The bill would require the eight member board to include GLO Commissioner as the presiding officer, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or designee, the executive director of the Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) or designee, the executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) or designee, the executive director of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board (SSWCB), a member of the public appointed by the Governor, a member of the public appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and a member of the public appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The bill would establish the board's duties as consisting of (1) managing the newly established account; (2) overseeing the research, recommendations, and allocation of funding for initiatives relating to habitat management, population restoration of wild game species, and beneficial land, water, and wildlife conservation practices in this state; (3) supporting research organizations and entities that support the interests of Texas hunters and landowners and foster rural economic development; (4) encouraging interagency coordination, best practices standardization, and cost-saving measures in the activities as required by the bill; (5) evaluating volunteer research initiatives related to land, water, and wildlife management and best practices; and (6) submitting a report to the legislature quantifying the benefits of projects that have received grants, including recommendations for methods to effectively conserve and restore land, water, and wildlife resources through eligible projects, and a summary analysis of the potential economic impacts of the recommendations made no later than September 1, 2027, and every even-numbered year thereafter. The bill would allow the board to establish a technical advisory committee as authorized by the bill and to adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.The bill would require the board to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to eligible entities for conservation planning, application preparation, and administrative costs associated with eligible projects. The bill would require the board to establish criteria for setting priorities for the projects eligible to receive grants, with criteria that includes the project's use of matching funds, the potential to maximize benefits in multiple project areas, the long-term sustainability and benefits of the project, the coordination and integration with other relevant projects as necessary, the regional and eco-regional diversity of the project, and the overall ecological benefit of the project. The bill would require the board to allocate fifty percent of the funding in any cycle to public parks or natural areas projects, and fifty percent of the funding in any cycle to natural resource conservation projects if the board receives a sufficient number of applications for eligible projects.The bill would require the Committee to be composed of eleven representatives, including eight representatives with one appointed by each of the eight board members, and three representatives appointed by the board from non-governmental entities with relevant experience. The bill would require the committee to assist in developing and evaluating the application process and scoring criteria for project funding, recommendations to the conservation board, and other items as directed.Under the provisions of the bill, the newly created account would consist of funds transferred to the account by the GLO, money appropriated to the account by law, proceeds of fees or other sources of revenue dedicated by law for deposit to the account, interest and other earnings on the investment of money in the account, gifts, grants, or donations to the account, and money from other sources designated by the conservation board for deposit to the account. The bill would establish that funds in the account would only be able to be used to: (1) award grants to entities for a public parks or natural areas project, or a natural resource conservation project; (2) provide matching funds to an entity to participate in a federal program for a public parks, natural areas, or natural resource conservation project; or (3) to pay the necessary and reasonable expenses to administer the account, not to exceed two percent of money disbursed from the account in any given year. The bill would prohibit funds in the account from being used to facilitate the use of eminent domain for acquiring real property or the acquisition or transfer of real property to be managed by the federal government.Based on information provided by the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the fiscal impact of the bill cannot be determined because the amounts of any transfers, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the account are unknown. Based on information provided by the GLO, this analysis assumes that additional resources and Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) positions would be needed for GLO related to the management, operation, and financial support of the account and to support the board's priorities, projects, and federal awards. However, the exact costs and the level of staffing and resources that would be needed by GLO cannot be determined at this time because the balances of the account resulting from the transfer of any amounts, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the account and the board's priorities, projects, and federal awards are unknown. In addition, the timing, amount, and type of projects or grants that may be funded and the necessary associated administrative costs are also unknown.Based on information provided by TCEQ, TPWD, TWDB, SSWCB, and the Governor's Trusteed Programs, it is assumed that costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.Note: 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 ImpactNo fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: b > td > 300 Trusteed Programs Within the Office of the Governor, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 580 Water Development Board, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 592 Soil and Water Conservation Board, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department LBB Staff: b > td > JMc, TUf, MW, JDio
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
April 29, 2025
TO: Honorable Cody Harris, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB4212 by Curry (Relating to the establishment, administration, and use of the Texas land, water, and wildlife conservation account.), As Introduced
TO: Honorable Cody Harris, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
FROM: Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB4212 by Curry (Relating to the establishment, administration, and use of the Texas land, water, and wildlife conservation account.), As Introduced
Honorable Cody Harris, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
Honorable Cody Harris, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
HB4212 by Curry (Relating to the establishment, administration, and use of the Texas land, water, and wildlife conservation account.), As Introduced
HB4212 by Curry (Relating to the establishment, administration, and use of the Texas land, water, and wildlife conservation account.), As Introduced
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the amounts of any transfers, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Account being unknown. In addition, the timing, amount, and type of projects or grants that may be funded and the necessary associated administrative costs are also unknown.Although this bill would not make an appropriation, it would establish the basis for an appropriation.
The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the amounts of any transfers, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Account being unknown. In addition, the timing, amount, and type of projects or grants that may be funded and the necessary associated administrative costs are also unknown.Although this bill would not make an appropriation, it would establish the basis for an appropriation.
The bill would establish the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Board (board), the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Governance Committee (Committee), and create the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Account (account), which would be a separate account within the General Revenue Fund. The bill would require the General Land Office (GLO) to enter into an agreement with the board for the management, operation, and financial support of the account in accordance with the expectations and goals established by the board.The bill would require the eight member board to include GLO Commissioner as the presiding officer, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or designee, the executive director of the Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) or designee, the executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) or designee, the executive director of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board (SSWCB), a member of the public appointed by the Governor, a member of the public appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and a member of the public appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The bill would establish the board's duties as consisting of (1) managing the newly established account; (2) overseeing the research, recommendations, and allocation of funding for initiatives relating to habitat management, population restoration of wild game species, and beneficial land, water, and wildlife conservation practices in this state; (3) supporting research organizations and entities that support the interests of Texas hunters and landowners and foster rural economic development; (4) encouraging interagency coordination, best practices standardization, and cost-saving measures in the activities as required by the bill; (5) evaluating volunteer research initiatives related to land, water, and wildlife management and best practices; and (6) submitting a report to the legislature quantifying the benefits of projects that have received grants, including recommendations for methods to effectively conserve and restore land, water, and wildlife resources through eligible projects, and a summary analysis of the potential economic impacts of the recommendations made no later than September 1, 2027, and every even-numbered year thereafter. The bill would allow the board to establish a technical advisory committee as authorized by the bill and to adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.The bill would require the board to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to eligible entities for conservation planning, application preparation, and administrative costs associated with eligible projects. The bill would require the board to establish criteria for setting priorities for the projects eligible to receive grants, with criteria that includes the project's use of matching funds, the potential to maximize benefits in multiple project areas, the long-term sustainability and benefits of the project, the coordination and integration with other relevant projects as necessary, the regional and eco-regional diversity of the project, and the overall ecological benefit of the project. The bill would require the board to allocate fifty percent of the funding in any cycle to public parks or natural areas projects, and fifty percent of the funding in any cycle to natural resource conservation projects if the board receives a sufficient number of applications for eligible projects.The bill would require the Committee to be composed of eleven representatives, including eight representatives with one appointed by each of the eight board members, and three representatives appointed by the board from non-governmental entities with relevant experience. The bill would require the committee to assist in developing and evaluating the application process and scoring criteria for project funding, recommendations to the conservation board, and other items as directed.Under the provisions of the bill, the newly created account would consist of funds transferred to the account by the GLO, money appropriated to the account by law, proceeds of fees or other sources of revenue dedicated by law for deposit to the account, interest and other earnings on the investment of money in the account, gifts, grants, or donations to the account, and money from other sources designated by the conservation board for deposit to the account. The bill would establish that funds in the account would only be able to be used to: (1) award grants to entities for a public parks or natural areas project, or a natural resource conservation project; (2) provide matching funds to an entity to participate in a federal program for a public parks, natural areas, or natural resource conservation project; or (3) to pay the necessary and reasonable expenses to administer the account, not to exceed two percent of money disbursed from the account in any given year. The bill would prohibit funds in the account from being used to facilitate the use of eminent domain for acquiring real property or the acquisition or transfer of real property to be managed by the federal government.Based on information provided by the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the fiscal impact of the bill cannot be determined because the amounts of any transfers, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the account are unknown. Based on information provided by the GLO, this analysis assumes that additional resources and Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) positions would be needed for GLO related to the management, operation, and financial support of the account and to support the board's priorities, projects, and federal awards. However, the exact costs and the level of staffing and resources that would be needed by GLO cannot be determined at this time because the balances of the account resulting from the transfer of any amounts, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the account and the board's priorities, projects, and federal awards are unknown. In addition, the timing, amount, and type of projects or grants that may be funded and the necessary associated administrative costs are also unknown.Based on information provided by TCEQ, TPWD, TWDB, SSWCB, and the Governor's Trusteed Programs, it is assumed that costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.Note: 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.
The bill would establish the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Board (board), the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Governance Committee (Committee), and create the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Account (account), which would be a separate account within the General Revenue Fund. The bill would require the General Land Office (GLO) to enter into an agreement with the board for the management, operation, and financial support of the account in accordance with the expectations and goals established by the board.
The bill would require the eight member board to include GLO Commissioner as the presiding officer, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or designee, the executive director of the Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) or designee, the executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) or designee, the executive director of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board (SSWCB), a member of the public appointed by the Governor, a member of the public appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and a member of the public appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The bill would establish the board's duties as consisting of (1) managing the newly established account; (2) overseeing the research, recommendations, and allocation of funding for initiatives relating to habitat management, population restoration of wild game species, and beneficial land, water, and wildlife conservation practices in this state; (3) supporting research organizations and entities that support the interests of Texas hunters and landowners and foster rural economic development; (4) encouraging interagency coordination, best practices standardization, and cost-saving measures in the activities as required by the bill; (5) evaluating volunteer research initiatives related to land, water, and wildlife management and best practices; and (6) submitting a report to the legislature quantifying the benefits of projects that have received grants, including recommendations for methods to effectively conserve and restore land, water, and wildlife resources through eligible projects, and a summary analysis of the potential economic impacts of the recommendations made no later than September 1, 2027, and every even-numbered year thereafter. The bill would allow the board to establish a technical advisory committee as authorized by the bill and to adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.
The bill would require the board to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to eligible entities for conservation planning, application preparation, and administrative costs associated with eligible projects. The bill would require the board to establish criteria for setting priorities for the projects eligible to receive grants, with criteria that includes the project's use of matching funds, the potential to maximize benefits in multiple project areas, the long-term sustainability and benefits of the project, the coordination and integration with other relevant projects as necessary, the regional and eco-regional diversity of the project, and the overall ecological benefit of the project. The bill would require the board to allocate fifty percent of the funding in any cycle to public parks or natural areas projects, and fifty percent of the funding in any cycle to natural resource conservation projects if the board receives a sufficient number of applications for eligible projects.
The bill would require the Committee to be composed of eleven representatives, including eight representatives with one appointed by each of the eight board members, and three representatives appointed by the board from non-governmental entities with relevant experience. The bill would require the committee to assist in developing and evaluating the application process and scoring criteria for project funding, recommendations to the conservation board, and other items as directed.
Under the provisions of the bill, the newly created account would consist of funds transferred to the account by the GLO, money appropriated to the account by law, proceeds of fees or other sources of revenue dedicated by law for deposit to the account, interest and other earnings on the investment of money in the account, gifts, grants, or donations to the account, and money from other sources designated by the conservation board for deposit to the account. The bill would establish that funds in the account would only be able to be used to: (1) award grants to entities for a public parks or natural areas project, or a natural resource conservation project; (2) provide matching funds to an entity to participate in a federal program for a public parks, natural areas, or natural resource conservation project; or (3) to pay the necessary and reasonable expenses to administer the account, not to exceed two percent of money disbursed from the account in any given year. The bill would prohibit funds in the account from being used to facilitate the use of eminent domain for acquiring real property or the acquisition or transfer of real property to be managed by the federal government.
Based on information provided by the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the fiscal impact of the bill cannot be determined because the amounts of any transfers, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the account are unknown.
Based on information provided by the GLO, this analysis assumes that additional resources and Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) positions would be needed for GLO related to the management, operation, and financial support of the account and to support the board's priorities, projects, and federal awards. However, the exact costs and the level of staffing and resources that would be needed by GLO cannot be determined at this time because the balances of the account resulting from the transfer of any amounts, appropriations, potential dedicated revenue, interest earnings, gifts, grants, donations, or other contributions to the account and the board's priorities, projects, and federal awards are unknown. In addition, the timing, amount, and type of projects or grants that may be funded and the necessary associated administrative costs are also unknown.
Based on information provided by TCEQ, TPWD, TWDB, SSWCB, and the Governor's Trusteed Programs, it is assumed that costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.
Note: 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 fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: b > td > 300 Trusteed Programs Within the Office of the Governor, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 580 Water Development Board, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 592 Soil and Water Conservation Board, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department
300 Trusteed Programs Within the Office of the Governor, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board, 580 Water Development Board, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 592 Soil and Water Conservation Board, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department
LBB Staff: b > td > JMc, TUf, MW, JDio
JMc, TUf, MW, JDio