LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 9, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Hugo Berlanga, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 2119
          Committee on Public Health                              By: Bosse
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB2119 ( Relating 
to the continuation and functions of the Texas  Commission on 
Alcohol and Drug Abuse; providing penalties.) this office has 
detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB2119-As Introduced
         
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

This bill would provide for 
the continuation of the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug 
Abuse for the standard 12-year Sunset review cycle.  The agency 
is subject to the provisions of the Texas Sunset Act.  Funding 
for the agency is included in the General Appropriations bill, 
as introduced ($127,147,620 for fiscal year 1998 and $127,183,567 
for fiscal year 1999), and would be contingent upon passage 
of House Bill 2119 or similar legislation.  The appropriation 
would be financed from the General Revenue fund, federal funds, 
appropriated receipts, and interagency contracts.  The appropriation 
would also provide for 230.5 full-time employees (FTEs) for 
each year of the biennium.  

METHODOLOGY

Implementation 
of several provisions of this bill could result in a savings 
to the state.  These provisions include improved contract requirements 
and monitoring of chemical dependency service providers, adoption 
of a provider funding system that maximizes the range and accessibility 
of treatment services within a region of the state, use of a 
unit rate reimbursement system to purchase and pay for treatment 
services, and improvements in the agency's technical assistance 
program.  

Implementation of the provision of the bill which 
gives the agency the authority to assess administrative penalties 
for violations pertaining to licensed chemical dependency counselors 
would result in a gain to the General Revenue fund.

Implementation 
of the provisions of the bill which specifically authorizes 
the agency to collect fees for alcohol awareness programs would 
result in no fiscal impact since these fees are currently being 
collected and deposited to the General Revenue fund.

Implementation 
of the provision of the bill requiring commission member training 
would result in no fiscal impact since the Commission currently 
requires this training.

Section 10 of the bill appears to 
re-create the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Licensure Fund 
Account, which was abolished effective August 31, 1995, pursuant 
to funds consolidation.
         
 
          
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   517   Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
                                         360   State Office of Administrative Hearings
                                         116   Sunset Advisory Commission
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,BB ,MG