LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
April 19, 1999
TO: Honorable Patricia Gray, Chair, House Committee on Public
Health
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB1444 by Delisi (relating to local public health
services), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
**************************************************************************
* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB1444, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: negative impact *
* of $(46,476,124) through the biennium ending August 31, 2001. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
**************************************************************************
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $(15,611,353) *
* 2001 (30,864,771) *
* 2002 (30,864,771) *
* 2003 (30,864,771) *
* 2004 (30,846,771) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
**************************************************************************
*Fiscal Probable Probable Change in Number of *
* Year Savings/(Cost) from Savings/(Cost) from State Employees from *
* General Revenue Fund Estimated Other FY 1999 *
* 0001 Educational and *
* General Income *
* Account - GR *
* Dedicated *
* 2000 $(15,611,353) $(187,943) 13.0 *
* 2001 (30,864,771) (187,943) 19.0 *
* 2002 (30,864,771) (187,943) 19.0 *
* 2003 (30,864,771) (187,943) 19.0 *
* 2004 (30,846,771) (187,943) 19.0 *
**************************************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Department of Health to administer a program
to distribute grants to counties and municipalities for essential public
health services. The department would be allowed to provide essential
public health services in areas where a municipality or county is not
receiving a grant to provide those services. The department would be
required to evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of
services provided under the grant program and to file a report no later
than January 1 of every odd-numbered year to the governor and presiding
officer of each house of the legislature detailing the results of the
evaluation.
The bill would require the department to establish a local public health
consortium composed of health science facilities. The department, in
consultation with the consortium and local health units, local health
departments, and public health districts, would accomplish the
following: develop and distribute curricula on training for public
health workers; conduct research on health status outcomes; develop
performance standards; and study the technology infrastructure available
to local health units.
Methodology
The Department of Health would increase the number of Full-Time
Equivalent positions by 12, eight of which would be located in regional
offices to oversee population-based grants. Contracts with local health
departments that currently contract with the department would be
increased by $100,000 per year each. Contracts with existing health
departments that do not currently contract with the department would
average $200,000 each for the 80 non-participating health departments.
There would be 36 new health departments or other appropriate entities
that would receive an average grant of $200,000 each. Costs are reduced
by fifty percent in the first year for an implementation period.
The University of Texas System estimates that for University of Texas
institutions overall, $256,445 per fiscal year in General Revenue and
$187,943 per fiscal year in Other Educational and General Income Account
funds would be needed to implement the provisions of this bill.
Local Government Impact
Counties and/or unincorporated municipalities would realize a positive
fiscal impact through state funding for essential public health services,
either through directly through grants to the county or unincorporated
municipality or indirectly if the Department of Health provides the
services.
Source Agencies: 501 Department of Health, 720 The University of
Texas System Administration
LBB Staff: JK, TH, KF