LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
                                Revision 1
  
                              April 14, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Patricia Gray, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Health
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB153  by Harris (Relating to the payment of costs in a
               proceeding for court-ordered mental health services.), As
               Engrossed
  
**************************************************************************
*  No 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.                                                             *
**************************************************************************
  
Local Government Impact
  
The bill would prohibit a county from requiring a mental health facility
to pay certain hearing costs. Counties currently requiring private mental
health facilities to pay such costs could experience a reduction in
revenues as a result of the bill's passage. However, the number of
hearings a county would have to conduct and the related expenses are not
expected to decrease.

It is expected that counties currently charging private mental health
facilities for hearing costs would lose revenues, depending on the number
of cases for which a county assesses hearing costs. Several counties
were contacted and provided the following estimates:

*Bexar County estimates that it would lose $222,239 in annual revenues,
based on fiscal year 1997-98 revenues collected from private mental
health facilities.

*It is estimated that Dallas County could lose a total of $544,460 per
year. This includes $515,780 in court fees (1,394 cases at $370 per case)
and an additional $28,680 in arrest fees for mental illness warrants
that the county would not expect to collect upon passage of the bill.
These estimates are based on activity in calendar year 1998.

*Although Harris County currently does not charge facilities the cost of
hearings, the county currently is considering imposing such charges.
Harris County estimates that the bill would limit its ability to collect
a potential $750,00 per year in revenue in the future. This is based on
2,600 cases in 1998.

*Randall County expects no fiscal impact from the bill, since the county
currently does not require mental health facilities to pay hearing costs.

*Travis County estimates that the bill would result in a $60,000
reduction in annual revenue.
  
  
Source Agencies:   655   MHMR
LBB Staff:         JK, TP, TL, PE, MG