LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                          Austin, Texas

                           FISCAL NOTE
                       74th Regular Session

                          April 6, 1995



 TO:     Honorable Hugo Berlanga, Chair         IN RE: Committee Substitute
         Committee on Public Health                             for House
         House of Representatives               Bill No. 1495
         Austin, Texas









FROM: John Keel, Director

In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
1495 (relating to the right of certain persons to obtain
information concerning a hearing for court-ordered mental health
services) 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.

This bill provides for the inclusion of an attorney's name,
address and phone number in the notice of any hearing under the
mental health code, and provides that any person who claims to
have information relating to the mental condition of a person
subject to an application for court-ordered mental health
services shall be given the information about the attorney
representing that person and the state attorney on the case.  It
also provides that any employee, officer or agent of TXMHMR must
refer any inquiring party to the committing court. The second
requirement imparts a duty to every employee or officer of the
department or of any community center to know where any
individual is being committed from.

This bill would require local units of government to set up a
data base containing the required information and make that
information accessible on a state-wide basis.  Costs for each
county or other unit of local government would vary with the
number of applications received.    




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 
                        to TDMHMR           FY 1995    
                                                       
          1996                $149,996              2.7
          1997                  42,716              1.0
                                                       
          1998                  42,716              1.0
                                                       
          1999                  42,716              1.0
          2000                  42,716              1.0
                                                       
                                                       
                                                       



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

The fiscal implication to  units of local government cannot be
determined.


Source:   Office of Court Administration,
                          Texas Department of Mental Health and
Mental Retardation
          LBB Staff: JK, GT, DF