LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                        February 20, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Hugo Berlanga, Chair         IN RE:  House Bill No. 988
         Committee on Public Health                     By: Maxey
         House of Representatives
         Austin, Texas







FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
988 (Relating to home collection kits for human immunodeficiency
virus infection testing; providing penalties.) this office has
determined the following:

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions
of the bill.

The bill would define permissible types of home collection kits
for HIV testing.  The Board of Health would be required to adopt
rules governing:  the requirements for a laboratory facility that
conducts testing of a specimen collected with a home collection
kit for HIV testing and the marketing and distribution of home
collection kits for HIV testing.  The bill would create penalties
for violation of the chapter (Chapter 85, Health and Safety Code,
Subchapter J) or of  rules adopted by the Board of Health under
the chapter.

Estimates of fiscal implications of the bill assume that the
agency would need to build infrastructure not currently in
existence in order to establish and monitor standards.  Estimates
further assume that a phase-in of costs would be possible, with
most new hires not being made before the second half of fiscal
year 1996.  The full cost of operating the program would not be
assumed until fiscal year 1997.

The probable fiscal implication of implementing the provisions of
the bill during each of the first  five years following passage    




is estimated as follows:
 


            Fiscal  Probable Cost Out      Change in   
             Year      of  General      Number of State
                     Revenue Fund 001   Employees from 
                                            FY 1995    
                                                       
          1996                $777,570             11.0
          1997                 957,886             11.0
                                                       
          1998                 927,748             11.0
                                                       
          1999                 927,748             11.0
          2000                 927,748             11.0
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       

       Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.

No fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.




Source:   Department of Health
          LBB Staff: JK, KF, AZ, DF