LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
74th Regular Session
March 31, 1995
TO: Honorable John Whitmire, Chair IN RE: House BillNo. 1409,
Committee on Criminal Justice as engrossed
Senate By: McDonald, et
Austin, Texas al.
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
1409 (Relating to children and family issues, including health
and human services issues) 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 authorize the Health and Human Services Commission
(HHSC) to certify the creation of local Child and Family
Commissions. A local Child and Family Commission would be
required to assess the need for child and family resources in the
community, monitor the effectiveness and efficiency with which
public and private organizations that receive public money
deliver services, and submit to the HHSC strategic plans for
services.
In conjunction with the Legislative Budget Board, the HHSC would
be required to develop a budget mechanism to combine state and
local funds to provide grants to local Child and Family
Commissions and to distribute grant funds that may be
appropriated by the Legislature for local Child and Family
Commissions. Grants to local commissions would need to be
matched by local resources, be distributed based on a county's
child population and per capita income. The HHSC could retain a
maximum of 2 percent of any funds appropriated for state grants
for the administration of the program. Community Assistance
Grants certified by the commission for the purpose on providing
an incentive for a community to establish a local child and
family commission would be required to be in proportion with the
child population in the county, not to exceed $50,000, be matched
equal to at least one-half of the grant amount by local
resources, and may not extend beyond a period of one year.
The State Auditor would be required to develop standardized forms
and schedules for a local commission to use in conducting an
annual financial audit.
The bill would require the Commissioner of Health and Human
Services to coordinate the program services and eligibility
requirements, funding, enrollment periods, fees, and
administrative functions of the child care programs of the
Department of Human Services, the pre-kindergarten programs of
the Central Education Agency, and the federal Head Start programs
by no later than December 1, 1997.
The bill would require the Department of Health to establish a
program to promote public awareness of the importance of prenatal
care. In addition, the department is required to develop a plan
to increase accessibility of dental services for children. The
plan would target children who are eligible for but not receiving
medical assistance (Medicaid).
The bill would require the Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation to develop a plan for providing services to children
with severe mental or emotional disorders who require residential
treatment.
The bill would require the Comptroller to establish a pilot
project to determine the effectiveness of using investment
budgeting to measure the cost-effectiveness of certain children's
prevention services. The Comptroller would report its findings
regarding the effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor
and the Seventy-fifth Legislature no later than January 15, 1997.
The fiscal implications of this bill as reported by the Health
and Human Services Commission would include the addition of one
staff person as a program administrator to coordinate the child
care programs in the 1996-97 biennium. The requirements relating
to the delivery of services to children and families are not
expected to increase costs for HHSC because the Commission
anticipates assistance from other health and human services
agencies.
The fiscal implications of this bill for the Department of Health
correspond to the Prenatal Public Awareness Program. Two new
staff would be added in fiscal year 1996 with a third person
added in 1997. Other costs would be incurred related to the
development and distribution of materials for the program.
The other agencies affected by this bill indicated that no
significant new costs were anticipated by the provisions of the
bill.
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 $234,949 3.0
1997 275,239 4.0
1998 222,100 3.0
1999 222,100 3.0
2000 222,100 3.0
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.
Source: Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Auditor's Office,
Commission for the Blind,
Department of Human Services,
Department of Health, Health and Human
Services Commission, Texas Department
of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation, Central Education Agency -
Administration
LBB Staff: JK, AZ, RR