HBA-NRS C.S.H.B. 3244 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3244 By: Gallego Appropriations 4/19/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law provides the Texas Department of Health (TDH) with appropriated funds from the interest proceeds of the emergency medical services and trauma care tobacco endowment. Initially, interest deposits appropriated for the program were made monthly. However, this was changed to quarterly deposits during the last fiscal year. Consequently, some grant recipients now wait up to three months for fund reimbursement which may present a financial hardship. C.S.H.B. 3244 allows TDH to temporarily transfer certain tobacco funds among tobacco-endowed programs. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3244 amends the Government Code to authorize the Texas Department of Health (TDH) to direct the comptroller of public accounts (comptroller) to temporarily transfer money appropriated to TDH to pay an obligation that TDH is authorized to incur under and for which money is appropriated under the Community Hospital Capital Improvement Fund, the Permanent Fund for Children and Public Health, the Permanent Fund for Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Care, and the Permanent Fund for Tobacco Education and Enforcement if TDH determines that the transfer is necessary for cash management purposes. As soon as possible after the transfer, the bill requires TDH to direct the comptroller to transfer back the transferred amount from amounts appropriated under the Community Hospital Capital Improvement Fund, the Permanent Fund for Children and Public Health, the Permanent Fund for Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Care to a specific appropriation item. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 3244 modifies the original bill by adding the Permanent Fund of Children and Public Health to the list of funds that can be borrowed against for the purpose of a temporary transfer of tobacco funds and removes the provision requiring the comptroller to transfer back applicable interest from amounts appropriated.