LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
74th Regular Session
March 9, 1995
TO: Honorable Don Henderson, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 262
Committee on Jurisprudence By: Leedom
Senate
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
262 (relating to reports of, and suits for the protection of,
abused children; providing a criminal penalty) 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 amend provisions in the Texas Family Code relating
to child abuse reports, investigations, and services currently
provided by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.
It updates the statutes by acknowledging transfer of
responsibility from the Department of Human Services to the
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. It also
expands the scope of reporting, investigation, and services to
include children who are "at risk of" child abuse or neglect.
The bill would allow any person responsible for a child
determined to be at risk of abuse or neglect to request an
administrative review of departmental findings.
It would require the department to work with national experts in
defining a minimal baseline standard for in-home and foster care
services and in developing outcome measures to monitor service
effectiveness.
The bill would also require the department to adopt rules setting
minimum standards for investigators, including a minimum number
of training hours and a minimum content for the training
curriculum. An oversight panel would be established to review
the training curriculum along with complaint procedures and child
protective services in general.
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 Probable Cost Out Change in
Year of General Federal Funds 555 Number of State
Revenue Employees from
Fund 001 FY 1995
1996 $65,780 $47,634 1.0
1997 67,172 48,642 1.0
1998 68,620 49,690 1.0
1999 70,125 50,781 1.0
2000 71,691 51,915 1.0
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.
Source: Health and Human Services Commission, Department of
Protective and
Regulatory Services
LBB Staff: JK, NM, RR