Honorable Stephanie Klick, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB784 by Guerra (Relating to a local agreement with the Department of State Health Services to improve laboratory capabilities in border counties.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB784, As Introduced : a negative impact of ($500,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2023.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2022
($250,000)
2023
($250,000)
2024
($250,000)
2025
($250,000)
2026
($250,000)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable (Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2022
($250,000)
2023
($250,000)
2024
($250,000)
2025
($250,000)
2026
($250,000)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code to require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to enter into an agreement with an institution of higher education to increase the availability of laboratory services in border counties.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2021.
Methodology
The analysis assumes that DSHS would contract with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to provide arboviral testing of mosquitoes and clinical testing for SARS-CoV-2 at a cost of $250,000 per year.
Currently, there is a cooperative agreement between DSHS and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) to provide surveillance and screening mosquito-borne diseases located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley for local jurisdictions, health departments, and vector control agencies effective until May 2021. Funding for the agreement and related activities is currently provided through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Centers of Excellence Vector Borne Diseases federal grant.
DSHS indicated that $150,000 each fiscal year would be needed once the CDC grant expires in fiscal year 2021 to continue the mosquito surveillance activities currently provided. The agency indicated they would need an additional $100,000 in each fiscal year for a contract to expand testing to other border counties not currently included in the cooperative agreement with UTRGV.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.