LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 74th Regular Session May 16, 1995 TO: Honorable Hugo Berlanga, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. Committee on Public Health 1343, House of Representatives as engrossed Austin, Texas By: Ellis, et al. FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on Senate Bill No. 1343 (Relating to the establishment and operation of a healthy start/healthy families 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 require the Texas Department of Health to develop a healthy start/healthy families home-based family support services pilot program designed to prevent child abuse and neglect. The bill directs the Department of Health to model this pilot program after a Hawaii program. The Board of Health would be required to adopt rules governing the establishment of a grant to a community agency or nonprofit organization with experience in child abuse prevention services. The bill would require the Department of Health to establish the pilot program in five communities of varying population size. Fiscal implications noted below assume a cap of $750,000 per fiscal year, although the Department estimates that it would cost approximately $3,000 per year per enrolled family. The Department of Health projects that local resources would be necessary to fund the remaining costs incurred by grant recipients to establish and maintain the program. Fiscal implications below assume that administrative costs to the Department of Health for establishing rules and selecting grant recipients could be borne within existing resources. It is assumed that additional federal funds would be available in association with this project for Medicaid administrative claiming. However, the amount of federal funds to be secured cannot be determined. While the bill could produce savings through the prevention of child abuse, these savings cannot be determined. 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 $750,000 1997 750,000 1998 750,000 1999 750,000 2000 750,000 The fiscal implication to units of local government cannot be determined. Source: Department of Health LBB Staff: JK, KF, DF