LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
March 29, 1999
TO: Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair, House Committee on
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB3270 by Goodman (Relating to the involvement of the
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services in the
adoption of certain children.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB3270, As Introduced: positive impact of $262,000 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. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2000 $125,000 *
* 2001 137,000 *
* 2002 150,000 *
* 2003 166,000 *
* 2004 182,000 *
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All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Probable Probable Probable *
* Year Savings/(Cost) Savings/(Cost) Savings/(Cost) Savings/(Cost) *
* from General from General from Federal from Federal *
* Revenue Fund Revenue Fund Funds Funds *
* 0001 0001 0555 0555 *
* 2000 $692,000 $(567,000) $443,000 $(503,000) *
* 2001 761,000 (624,000) 488,000 (544,000) *
* 2002 837,000 (687,000) 536,000 (609,000) *
* 2003 921,000 (755,000) 590,000 (670,000) *
* 2004 1,013,000 (831,000) 649,000 (737,000) *
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Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Family Code to entitle adoptive parents of a
child who is at least seven years of age at the time of the adoption to
receive unedited copies of the records and other information relating to
the history of the child.
The bill would require the Department of Protective and Regulatory
Services (DPRS) to centralize funding to pay licensed child-placing
agencies.
The bill would require DPRS to use licensed child-placing agencies to
assist in placing children. A licensed child-placing agency could
perform an adoptive home screening; a social study; a health, social,
educational, and genetic history; or any other function expediting the
adoption process. The bill would require DPRS to form advisory groups,
creating a formal communication and complaint system, sharing
information, and taking other necessary actions to encourage a
cooperative approach.
The bill would require DPRS to provide educational services for a child
in substitute care under 21 years of age. The bill would require DPRS to
establish work groups with school districts and other entities to
develop educational plans for children in DPRS care. The bill would
allow the court of jurisdiction to assign a court-appointed volunteer
advocate to represent the interest of the child in an educational
planning meeting.
The bill would require the DPRS to provide services to difficult-to-place
children and their adoptive families after adoption to ensure a
successful adoption.
The bill would require DPRS to attempt to increase the number of
potential adoptive families through advertising, seminars, conferences,
and by promoting partnerships with churches and civic organizations to
recruit adoptive parents. The bill would require DPRS to provide the
names of potential adoptive parents and adoptable children to licensed
child-placing agencies.
The bill would require DPRS to expand the department s Permanency
Achieved through Coordinated Efforts (PACE) program to two metropolitan
areas of the state and expand DPRS policies to encourage the adoption
of difficult-to-place children. The bill would require DPRS to expand
its policy under which an adoptive parent may voluntarily relinquish to
the department a child having special needs for which the adoptive
parent is unable to provide adequate care.
Methodology
The bill would implement recommendation GG9 in the Comptroller s report
Challenging the Status Quo: Toward Smaller, Smarter Government to
increase the adoption of children under the state s care and to encourage
the use of private adoption agencies.
This estimate assumes a reduction of two months in the duration of foster
care payments and an increase of two months of adoption subsidies,
resulting in a net savings. The provision of the bill to extend services
through age 21 for those who have not completed high school or its
equivalent is anticipated to cost about $1.2 million in state funds and a
little less than $1.1 million in federal funds in the fiscal 2000-2001
biennium in increased adoption subsidies and foster care.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
Source Agencies:
LBB Staff: JK, MD, NM