LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
74th Regular Session
April 24, 1995
TO: Honorable Hugo Berlanga, Chair IN RE: Committee Substitute
Committee on Public Health for House
House of Representatives Bill No. 2311
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
2311 (Relating to the establishment of a health professional
recruitment program.) 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 create the health professional recruitment
program, a grant program to assist nonprofit, community-based
organizations in recruiting and retaining health professionals to
practice in medically underserved areas. The program would be
administered by the Department of Health. Among the requirements
for the administration of the program in the bill are the
specifications that the department, in conjunction with the
Center for Rural Health Initiatives, conduct field research,
collect data, and prepare reports relating to the need for the
program.
The bill would create a stipend program, specifying that the
Department award grants for one-year periods, with the amount of
the grant not to exceed $15,000. The stipends are to be awarded
to nonprofit, community-based organizations and may only be used
to assist the organization in paying for the salary or expenses
of health professionals.
The bill would require that, not later than February 1, 1997, the
Texas Board of Health report to the 75th Legislature regarding
the allocation of funds and the progress of the program in
recruiting and retaining resident physicians to practice in
medically underserved areas.
Assumptions in the fiscal implications noted below include: an
estimated 60 grants at $15,000 each in fiscal year 1996, 70 in
fiscal year 1997, 80 in fiscal year 1998, and 90 grants in fiscal
years 1999 and 2000; funds to hire a statistician at the
Department of Health to track data; and associated operating
expenses, including travel and computer equipment.
The bill would appropriate $330,000 to the Department of Health
each year of the 1996-97 biennium to establish the recruitment
program. Not more than 10 percent of the appropriation could be
used for administration of the program.
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 $941,697 1.0
1997 1,085,907 1.0
1998 1,236,057 1.0
1999 1,386,207 1.0
2000 1,386,207 1.0
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, DF