LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              April 12, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health
               Services
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB806  by Ellis, Rodney (Relating to the provision of
               medical care services to inmates confined by the Texas
               Department of Criminal Justice and to certain
               administrative matters pertaining to the provision of
               those services.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB806, As Introduced:  positive impact of $0 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.                                                             *
**************************************************************************
  
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
          ****************************************************
          *  Fiscal Year  Probable Net Positive/(Negative)   *
          *               Impact to General Revenue Related  *
          *                             Funds                *
          *       2000                                   $0  *
          *       2001                                    0  *
          *       2002                            1,000,000  *
          *       2003                            1,000,000  *
          *       2004                            1,000,000  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
         *****************************************************
         * Fiscal Year      Probable Savings/(Cost) from      *
         *                      General Revenue Fund          *
         *                              0001                  *
         *      2000                                       $0 *
         *      2001                                        0 *
         *      2002                                1,000,000 *
         *      2003                                1,000,000 *
         *      2004                                1,000,000 *
         *****************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would implement recommendations by the Comptroller's Texas
Performance Review (TPR) related to the provision of medical services to
inmates confined by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
The TPR estimates a reduction in inmate transportation costs as a result
of expanding the use of telemedicine.  Regarding provisions of the bill
which address any revenue received in excess of medical costs, the TPR
concludes it is difficult to forecast any gain to the General Revenue
Fund due to the wide fluctuations in earnings in recent years
experienced by the medical services providers.
  
  
Methodology
  
*   The TDCJ identifies fiscal year 1998 inmate transportation costs as
$10,134,227.
*    The TPR estimates a 10 percent reduction in inmate transportation
costs beginning in fiscal year 2002 as a result of expanding the use of
telemedicine.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   696   Department of Criminal Justice, 723   The
                   University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 720
                   The University of Texas System Administration, 739
                   Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 304
                   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, TP, MD, JN