LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session May 10, 1999 TO: Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health Services FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB2573 by Wolens (Relating to tertiary medical care.), As Engrossed ************************************************************************** * 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 Department of Health to designate tertiary care facilities. The bill would create a new account in the state treasury, the Tertiary Care Facility Account, to be composed of money appropriated to the account and gifts, grants, and donations. The Department of Health would be required to certify to the Comptroller, for each designated tertiary care facility, the cost of unreimbursed tertiary care provided by the facility to persons who reside outside of the service area of the facility or unit of local government. In addition, the department would be required to allocate funds available in the Tertiary Care Facility Account to facilities based on the percentages computed by dividing the cost of the facility's unreimbursed tertiary medical services by the total cost of all facilities' unreimbursed tertiary medical services. No more than five percent of the amounts remaining in the account could be used for the costs of administering the account. According to the Comptroller, the amount of gifts, grants, and donations allocated to the new account is not known. The Department of Health estimates that it would cost approximately $290,000 in fiscal year 2000 and approximately $250,000 per year in subsequent years to administer the provisions of this bill. Technology Impact Four personal computers, one laptop computer, and four printers are assumed in the numbers included above. Local Government Impact No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: 301 Office of the Governor, 501 Department of Health, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts LBB Staff: JK, TP, KF