LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
April 6, 1997
TO: Honorable Harvey Hilderbran, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 1330
Committee on Human Services By: Naishtat
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1330 ( Relating
to the creation and administration of a program to assist individuals
who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have an impairment of
speech to purchase specialized telecommunications) this office
has detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1330-As Introduced
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net
impact of $0 to General Revenue Related Funds through the biennium
ending August 31, 1999.
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 amend the Public Utility Regulatory
Act (PURA) to require the Texas Commission for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing (TCDHH) and the Public Utility Commission to
establish a program to provide financial assistance for individual
purchase of specialized equipment to provide telephone network
access for individuals who are deaf, hearing impaired, or speech
impaired.
Fiscal Analysis
The fiscal implications of the bill include the addition of
(6.7) FTEs for the Public Utility Commission (PUC), (7) for
the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TCDHH). Phone
lines and office space would be required for TCDHH to support
the additional staff.
Methodolgy
Fiscal implications are based on the following assumptions:
The
program would be based on a voucher concept. The Commission
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing would determine a reasonable
price for a basic tele-typewriter and issue vouchers with that
face value amount. Eligible individuals would purchase the
vouchers for $35.00 from the Commission for the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing and exchange them for a new specialized device.
The
money paid by individuals to the Commission for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing for the vouchers would be deposited to the Texas
Universal Service Fund (USF) held outside of the State Treasury.
The USF would also fund costs incurred by the Commission for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Public Utility Commission, and
the Relay Texas Advisory Committee for administration and oversight
of the voucher program.
The costs for the Commission for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing would be $481,531 for fiscal year
1998, and $394,531 per year, each year after for a total of
$2,439,186 for fiscal years 1998-02.
The Public Utility Commission
impact would be $162,070 for fiscal year 1998; $101,946 in 1999;
$34,012 in 2000; $64,012 in 2001; and $34,012 in 2002.
All
costs would be paid out of the Universal Service Fund.
According
to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Public Utility Regulatory
Act requires the local exchange companies to establish the Universal
Service Fund. This fund is maintained outside the State Treasury.
Assuming it is within the statewide accounting guidelines for
the TCDHH to deposit the money it would collect from the voucher
fee into a fund outside the State Treasury, and assuming it
is within guidelines for the PUC to pay distributors from a
fund outside the State Treasury, this bill would have no effect
on the state's finances, other than marginally higher phone
bills for state and local government.
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 Other - Employees from
Texas Universal FY 1997
Service Fund
OTHER-OTH
1998 ($644,601) 9.7
1998 (496,477) 11.3
2000 (424,543) 10.1
2001 (454,543) 10.9
2002 (424,543) 10.9
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 $0
1999 0
2000 0
2001 0
2002 0
Similar annual fiscal implications Similar annual fiscal implications
would continue as long as the provisions of the bill are in
effect.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government
is anticipated.
Source: Agencies: 473 Public Utility Commission of Texas
318 Commission for the Blind
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
335 Commission for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
LBB Staff: JK ,BB ,ER