LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session April 12, 1999 TO: Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair, House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB1884 by Grusendorf (Relating to the collection and enforcement of child support.), As Introduced ************************************************************************** * No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** The bill would require the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to submit a request to the Legislature for an appropriation of funds to cover the costs and fees incurred by counties in providing child support enforcement services that are not reimbursed by the federal government. The current statutory language that the OAG is liable for these costs only in the event that the Legislature makes a specific appropriation to the OAG remains unchanged. The OAG estimates that counties will incur costs of $5,414,561 in FY2000, $5,631,144 in FY2001, $5,856,390 in FY2001, $6,090,645 in FY2003, and $6,334,271 in FY2004. Local Government Impact The bill's provision allowing a court to impose a child support service fee of up to $5 per month could result in increased revenues to county Friend of the Court funds. The revenue increase would depend on the number of counties that would impose the fee and the collection rate. Since Texas counties manage approximately 750,000 private child support cases annually, the maximum amount of revenue to county Friend of the Court funds could be $45 million. Any proceeds from the fee would be used by counties to provide friend of the court services. With respect to the provision requiring the OAG to request appropriations to pay for the state's share of costs incurred by counties, the counties would realize a savings, in the amounts shown above, only in the event that the Legislature appropriated money to reimburse the child support enforcement costs incurred. Source Agencies: 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 302 Office Of The Attorney General LBB Staff: JK, MD, SC, TL