LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              March 15, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair, House Committee on
               Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2354  by Goodman (Relating to the liability of the
               Title IV-D agency for certain costs incurred in providing
               child support services.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
*                                                                        *
*  The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal      *
*  basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of    *
*  the bill.                                                             *
**************************************************************************
  
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 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:   
LBB Staff:         JK, MD, SC