LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 31, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 1826, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
          Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues                              By: Goodman
          House
          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-Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
          
The bill would amend numerous provisions in the Family Code 
and the Education Code relating to the protection of 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 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.

The bill would 
be effective on September 1, 1997.

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 ,CB ,NM