LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
74th Regular Session
April 12, 1995
TO: Honorable Judith Zaffirini, Chair IN RE: Senate BillNo. 1303
Committee on Health & Human Services By: Cain
Senate
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No.
1303 (Relating to the practice of medicine, including the
rehabilitation of impaired physicians, the creation and funding
of the Physicians' Peer Health Assistance Program, and the
unlicensed practice of medicine; providing a 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.
This bill amends the Medical Practices Act by creating a
Physicians' Peer Health Assistance Program for impaired
physicians needing assistance in dealing with their physical,
emotional, or psychological problems which could become
detrimental to their ability to practice medicine. The peer
assistance program shall evaluate the extent of the physical,
emotional, or psychological problem and refer physicians for
appropriate additional evaluations well as monitor the status of
physicians participating in the program.
The State Board of Medical Examiners would be required to
contract with a nonprofit statewide health care entity to provide
only for educational and intervention services and services
related to the identification of the physical, emotional, or
psychological problem and the evaluation, diagnosis, referral for
evaluation, and the monitoring and evaluation of the treatment of
the physician participant. Costs of treatment shall be the
responsibility of the physician participant.
This bill also creates the Physicians' Peer Health Assistance
Program Fund as a special account in the state treasury. A
surcharge of no more than $10 may be levied on each annual
registration fee to provide revenues for the funding of the peer
health assistance program. The fees deposited in the fund shall
be credited to the appropriations of the State Board of Medical
Examiners and may be spent only as provided by the General
Appropriations Act.
For the purposes of this fiscal note, the full amount of fee
revenues generated by the fee surcharge are appropriated to the
State Board of Medical Examiners for the operation of this
program. Should the program costs be less than those shown below,
it is expected that the State Board of Medical Examiners would
reduce the surcharge to an appropriate level. There may be some
additional administrative costs associated with this program but
they are expected to be less than $10,000.
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 Revenue Probable Cost Out
Year Gain to the of the Physicians'
Physicians' Peer Peer Health
Health Assistance Assistance Program
Program Fund Fund
1996 $450,000 $450,000
1997 450,000 450,000
1998 450,000 450,000
1999 450,000 450,000
2000 450,000 450,000
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: Board of Medical Examiners
LBB Staff: JK, GT, DF