LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session April 26, 1997 TO: Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 1826, As Engrossed Committee on Jurisprudence By: Goodman Senate Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1826 ( Relating to the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, the protection of children from abuse and neglect, and the conservatorship of children.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1826-As Engrossed No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The bill would amend numerous provisions in the Family and Education Codes relating to protecting children from abuse and neglect, and the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. Implementation of several provisions in the bill would have no significant fiscal impact. These include provisions that would: require the department to audio- and videotape certain interviews with children; add new grounds for the involuntary termination of parental rights; exempt the department from paying fees to obtain medical records during an investigation; and, allow the department to pay funeral expenses for foster children who die in conservatorship. They also include provisions that would allow the department to use funds maintained in a child's bank or savings account to support the child, and to recover the cost of foster care from the estate of a child or parent. A potential exists for increased costs due to implementation of several other provisions in the bill, but this would be dependent on board rules and agency implementation policies. The provisions that could increase costs would: remove a cap on the total amount of foster care payments, including medical care; remove limitations on medical care payments; allow the department to make protective foster care payments for a broader range of children; and, allow the Board of Protective and Regulatory Services to adopt rules establishing criteria and guidelines for the payment of foster care, and for the care of children who reach age 18 in conservatorship and continue to attend school regularly through age 21. No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source: Agencies: 324 Department of Human Services 405 Department of Public Safety 501 Department of Health LBB Staff: JK ,BB ,NM