LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
75th Regular Session
May 10, 1997
TO: Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 181, Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues By: Shapiro
House
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB181 ( Relating
to the parent-child relationship, suits affecting the parent-child
relationship, and the protection of children.) this office has
detemined the following:
Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB181-Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted FN Revision 1
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net
positive impact of $4,468,614 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.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend two chapters in the Family Code relating
to the conservatorship of children by the Department of Protective
and Regulatory Services (PRS).
The bill would require the
court to dismiss a suit affecting the parent-child relationship
on the first Monday after the first anniversary of the date
the court rendered an order appointing PRS as temporary managing
conservator, unless the court had already rendered a final order
or granted an extension of up to 180 days. The bill would also
allow the court to retain jurisdiction over the child, and not
dismiss the suit or render a final order for an additional 180
days, under certain circumstances. The effective date of the
act would be January 1, 1998, and the provisions would apply
to all suits commenced before, on, or after this date. The
court could establish a later dismissal date for suits involving
children in PRS temporary managing conservatorship before January
1, 1998.
Methodolgy
It is assumed that the provisions relating to permanency planning
for children in PRS temporary managing conservatorship would
significantly increase the workload of the department's child
protective services program. The workload increase would be
heaviest in the first two fiscal years, when the department
would implement new permanency planning procedures and begin
moving about 3,500 foster children who have been in conservatorship
for 12 or more months through the court system. Additional
child protective services staff would be needed to handle the
new permanency planning requirements. The cost estimate assumes
a ratio of six clerks per child protective service worker.
The
cost of the additional workload would be more than offset by
a savings in foster care and other purchased service payments,
because the provisions of the bill would cause some children
to leave the system more quickly. The cost estimate uses federal
revenue from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
program. In the event that TANF funds are unavailable for allocation,
General Revenue may need to be substituted.
Estimated costs
and savings have been revised to reflect updated information
received from PRS after the previous fiscal note was issued.
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 Probable Probable Probable Change in Number
Savings/(Cost) Savings/(Cost) Savings/(Cost) Savings/(Cost) of State
from General from General from Federal Funds from Federal Funds Employees from
Revenue Fund Revenue Fund FY 1997
0001 0001 0555 0555
1998 ($2,828,922) $360,918 ($2,066,809) $562,862 97.0
1998 (5,579,392) 12,516,010 (4,067,016) 6,144,442 207.0
2000 (2,757,152) 18,168,770 (2,031,160) 8,821,369 91.8
2001 (1,980,998) 12,390,049 (1,476,951) 6,027,335 57.4
2002 (2,050,479) 12,389,345 (1,535,426) 6,028,686 57.7
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 ($2,468,004)
1999 6,936,618
2000 15,411,618
2001 10,409,051
2002 10,338,866
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: 530 Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
LBB Staff: JK ,CB