LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 29, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Judith Zaffirini, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 911, As Engrossed
          Committee on Health & Human Services                              By: Hirschi
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB911 ( Relating 
to the management of persons with communicable diseases.) this 
office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB911-As Engrossed
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal 
basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions 
of the bill.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

The bill would modify current 
law to require the Attorney General, if requested to do so by 
the Department of Health, to file a sworn written application 
for a court order for the management of a person with a communicable 
disease.  The Department of Health could, among other provisions, 
also request that the Attorney General seek a modification of 
a commitment order or an order for outpatient treatment, and 
request that the Attorney General apply for a person's temporary 
detention pending the modification hearing.

METHODOLOGY

It 
is estimated that there would be up to four cases per year in 
which the Department of Health would make a request to the Attorney 
General for an application for the management of a person with 
a communicable disease. However, any additional costs to the 
Office of the Attorney General could be absorbed within existing 
resources.


         
 
          
The bill would require counties to pay the costs for a hearing 
or proceeding for the court-ordered management of a person with 
a communicable disease under certain conditions.  A county is 
entitled to reimbursement for costs actually paid by the county 
from the person who is the subject of the application or a person 
or estate liable for the person's support. There is, therefore, 
potential for some or all of a county's costs to be reimbursed.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   501   Department of Health
                                         302   Office of the Attorney General
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,BB ,KF