LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 86TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
March 18, 2019

TO:
Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
 
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director     Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director
Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB705 by Watson (Relating to certain investigation and evaluation information regarding certain child-care facilities, homes, and programs.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB705, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($666,618) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021.

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 ($305,200)
2021 ($361,418)
2022 $0
2023 $0
2024 $0




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
General Revenue Fund
1
Probable Savings/(Cost) from
Federal Funds
555
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2019
2020 ($305,200) ($29,898) 2.0
2021 ($361,418) ($35,404) 2.0
2022 $0
2023
2024

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend Chapter 261 of the Family Code to specify the types of settings for which the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) would be required to release fatality investigation information for an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect. The bill would also require DFPS to release certain information for cases involving child fatalities and near fatalities that occurred in a day-care center, group day-care home, before-school or after-school program, school-age program, or family.
 
The bill would amend Chapter 42 of the Human Resources Code to require the child care licensing public database to include additional information and retain inspection data for five years.
 
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2019.

Methodology

DFPS indicates that the provisions of the bill would require the agency to track additional components in the child fatality public release form and to automate the child fatality public release form for an additional group of providers (day-care facilities). The agency would also be required to capture information about training completed by day-care facilities. According to DFPS, these changes would require 2.0 contract FTEs in fiscal year 2020 and 2021. DFPS estimates that the associated modifications to HHSC's Child Care Licensing Automated System (CLASS) and to the IMPACT system would have a cost of $290,138 in General Revenue and $318,562 in All Funds in fiscal year 2020, and $350,729 in General Revenue and $385,086 in All Funds in fiscal year 2021.
 
The bill would require HHSC to modify CLASS to extend site data from three to five years, and update the accompanying language on the public site. LBB analysis of HHSC assumes that the agency could complete these activities with existing resources.

Technology

DFPS estimates that the bill would require FTE and other technology-related costs of $290,138 in General Revenue and $318,562 in All Funds in fiscal year 2020, and $350,729 in General Revenue and $385,086 in All Funds in fiscal year 2021.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
320 Texas Workforce Commission, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of
LBB Staff:
WP, AKi, JQ, MNa, CP