LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  March 20, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair            IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 586
          Committee on State Affairs                              By: Moncrief
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB586 ( Relating 
to the creation of the Guardianship Advisory Board and the establishment 
of local guardianship centers.) this office has detemined the 
following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB586-As Introduced
         
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net 
negative impact of $(416,747) 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 create a Guardianship Advisory Board and a Guardianship 
Network Council to advise the Health and Human Services Commission 
(HHSC) in adopting and implementing standards to govern guardianship 
and in establishing local guardianship centers.  HHSC would 
be required to establish at least one guardianship center in 
each of the health and human services regions. 
 
Methodolgy
 
It is assumed that the Commission would financially and administratively 
support the two new entities.  One full-time equivalent position 
would be added to act as the primary liaison with both advisory 
boards and with probate court or local contacts.  The primary 
fiscal impact would be related to travel, training, and facilities 
requirements necessary to support the work of the two advisory 
groups and to establish the local guardianship centers.  It 
is assumed that the centers would co-locate with other state, 
county, court or municipal office space.  

It is assumed 
that HHSC will contract with each of the 19 probate courts to 
provide limited information and referral services on locally 
available guardianship services and attorneys ad litem. It is 
estimated that 10 centers would become active in the first year 
and the remaining 9 centers would follow in the second year. 

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 General       Employees from                                                             
            Revenue Fund       FY 1997                                                                    
            0001                                                                                           
       1998        ($138,186)               1.0                                                      
       1998         (278,561)               1.0                                                      
       2000         (278,561)               1.0                                                      
       2001         (278,561)               1.0                                                      
       2002         (278,561)               1.0                                                      
 
 
         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           ($138,186)
               1999            (278,561)
               2000            (278,561)
               2001            (278,561)
               2002            (278,561)
 
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as 
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
          
Costs to units of local government are anticipated to increase 
to the extent that local caseloads increase.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   212   Office of Court Administration
                                         529   Health and Human Services Commission
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,JD ,AZ