LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session April 17, 1995 TO: Honorable Hugo Berlanga, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 2339 Committee on Public Health By: Hirschi House of Representatives Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No. 2339 (Relating to the management of persons with communicable diseases and to laboratory tests of mycobacteria.) this office has determined the following: The bill would modify provisions in the Health and Safety Code relating to the management of persons with communicable diseases. The bill would specify that a district attorney must file a sworn written application for court order for the management of persons with communicable diseases when requested to do so by the health authority. The attorney general would be required to do the same at the request of the Department of Health. The bill would specify that a county must pay costs for hearings or proceedings, including attorney's fees, physician examination fees, compensation for court-ordered personal services, security, and expenses of transportation to a designated facility. The county would be entitled to reimbursement for costs from persons who are the subject of the application or persons or estates liable for the persons' support. The bill would also require a laboratory that cultures mycobacteria to perform tests to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and perform drug susceptibility studies on- site in accordance with rules adopted by the Board of Health. Some additional costs could potentially accrue to units of local government, if the modifications in the bill led to a greater number of court procedures for the management of persons with communicable diseases. Costs could potentially accrue to units of local government to the extent that the bill's language regarding costs that a county must pay does not reflect current practices. No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The fiscal implication to units of local government cannot be determined. Source: Department of Health LBB Staff: JK, KF, DF