LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session March 31, 1995 TO: Honorable Bill Ratliff, Chair IN RE: Committee Substitute Committee on Education for Senate Senate Austin, Texas Bill No. 979 FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No. 979 (Relating to programs to increase the number of primary care physicians and allied health personnel in medically underserved areas of this state) 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 add a new program and make changes to existing programs to increase the availability of health care in medically underserved areas of the state. Major provisions of the bill include: * transferring oversight of the family residency pilot programs from the Department of Health to the Higher Education Coordinating Board; * expanding the number of eligible family residency pilot programs from three to five; * establishing a goal that no more than 20 percent of physicians receiving repayment assistance should be employed by certain state agencies; * adding clinical faculty and residents in an approved family practice residency training program to the eligibility list for the Physician Education Loan Repayment Program; * developing a medically underserved community-state matching incentive program administered by the Department of Health which would provide a maximum of $25,000 in matching state funds to eligible communities who sponsor a primary care physician. 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 Year of General Revenue Fund 001 1996 $250,000 1997 250,000 1998 250,000 1999 250,000 2000 250,000 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: Higher Education Coordinating Board LBB Staff: JK, DB, WRR