LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 76th Regular Session
  
                              March 18, 1999
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Judith Zaffirini, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Human Services
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB996  by Lindsay (Relating to funeral expenses for
               children in foster care), Committee Report 1st House,
               Substituted
  
**************************************************************************
*  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 Protective and Regulatory
Services to spend funds appropriated for child protective services to
pay reasonable and necessary funeral expenses when a child in the
department's managing conservatorship dies in foster care.  The bill as
amended would require the department to request the biological parent or
parents to pay reasonable and necessary funeral expenses for a child
under the managing conservatorship of the department.  Resources that
would be used would include the child's insurance policies or savings
accounts.  The department currently has statutory authority to pay for
expenses which totaled approximately $23,000 in fiscal year 1998.  The
department does not expect the bill to result in significantly higher
expenditures.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, TP, NM