LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  May 12, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Hugo Berlanga, Chair            IN RE:  Senate Bill No. 1699, Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
          Committee on Public Health                              By: Cain
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB1699 ( Relating 
to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners and the licensure 
of physicians; providing penalties.) this office has detemined 
the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB1699-Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
         
Implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a net 
impact to the State of $0 to General Revenue Related Funds through 
the biennium ending August 31, 1999.
         

         
 
Fiscal Analysis
 
The bill would restructure and consolidate sections of the Medical 
Practice Act. This would require some minor changes to the licensing 
rules and procedures of the Board of Medical Examiners (BME); 
however, these changes would not require additional funds.

The 
bill would also amend the Medical Practice Act by requiring 
the BME to create a professional profile of licensed physicians. 
 This profile would be updated annually; would be available 
to the public; and would be more comprehensive than the profile 
currently maintained by the BME.  The bill would require the 
BME to raise fees for each licensed physician to cover the costs 
of administering the bill.  The increase in fees could not exceed 
$15 per fiscal year in the 1998-1999 biennium and could not 
exceed $10 per year in the 2000-2001 biennium.  The BME would 
adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. 

 
Methodolgy
 
The bill would increase the workload related to collecting additional 
information from the physicians, subsequent verification of 
information, annual profile updates, and requests for information 
by consumers and physicians.  Such increases in workload would 
require 5 FTEs for the development of the profile in the first 
year and 2 FTEs for maintenance of the profile in subsequent 
years.  The physician profile would also require $128,653 in 
computer hardware and software upgrades in the first year sufficient 
to meet the number and size of the profiles.  It is assumed 
that the BME would raise fees by an amount necessary to cover 
the increased costs.
 
Five Year Impact:
 
Fiscal Year Probable           Probable Revenue   Change in Number   
            Savings/(Cost)     Gain/(Loss) from   of State                                                
            from General       General Revenue    Employees from                                          
            Revenue Fund       Fund               FY 1997                                                 
            0001               0001                                                                        
       1998        ($256,367)          $256,367               5.0                                    
       1998          (42,702)            42,702               2.0                                    
       2000          (42,702)            42,702               2.0                                    
       2001          (42,702)            42,702               2.0                                    
       2002          (42,702)            42,702               2.0                                    
 
 
         Net Impact on General Revenue Related Funds:
 

 
              Fiscal Year      Probable Net Postive/(Negative)
                               General Revenue Related Funds
                                             Funds
               1998                   $0
               1999                    0
               2000                    0
               2001                    0
               2002                    0
 
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as 
the provisions of the bill are in effect.
          
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         503   Board of Medical Examiners
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,BB ,AC