LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
April 22, 1997
TO: Honorable Hugo Berlanga, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 935
Committee on Public Health By: Maxey/et al.
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB935 ( Relating
to public access to certain information pertaining to medical
practitioners.) this office has detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB935-As Introduced
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net
negative impact of $(1,295,167) to General Revenue Related Funds
through the biennium ending August 31, 1999.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Medical Practice Act by requiring the
Board of Medical Examiners (BME) to create a professional profile
of licensed physicians. This profile would be updated annually;
would be available to the public, and would be more comprehensive
than the profile currently maintained by the BME. The BME would
adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.
Methodolgy
The bill would increase the workload related to collecting additional
information from the physicians, subsequent verification of
information, annual profile updates, and requests for information
by consumers and physicians. Such increases in workload would
demand additional staff resources beyond current staff levels.
The physician profile would also require computer hardware
and software upgrades sufficient to meet the number and size
of the profiles. Start-up costs would include $250,000 for
hardware and software upgrades, $300,000 for computer programming,
and 4 Administrative Technicians to enter the profile data.
Although 10 FTEs would be needed the first year, 5 FTEs would
be necessary in subsequent years.
The probable fiscal implications of implementing the provisions
of the bill during each of the first five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
Five Year Impact:
Fiscal Year Probable Change in Number
Savings/(Cost) of State
from General Employees from
Revenue Fund FY 1997
0001
1998 ($883,199) 10.0
1998 (411,968) 5.0
2000 (416,986) 5.0
2001 (422,155) 5.0
2002 (422,155) 5.0
Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
The probable fiscal implication to General Revenue related funds
during each of the first five years is estimated as follows:
Fiscal Year Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
General Revenue Related Funds
Funds
1998 ($883,199)
1999 (411,968)
2000 (416,986)
2001 (422,155)
2002 (422,155)
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: Agencies: 405 Department of Public Safety
503 Board of Medical Examiners
LBB Staff: JK ,BB ,AC