LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 25, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Paul Sadler, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB395  by Wise (Relating to the safety of school district
               playgrounds.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.

The bill requires each school district to appoint a qualified current
district employee to serve as the playground safety coordinator.  Through
the actions of the safety coordinator, school districts would be
required to ensure that all new and all existing school district
playgrounds substantially comply with the latest federal standards
pertaining to playground safety.

New school playgrounds are already required to comply with the federal
playground safety standards under Section 756.061 of the Health and
Safety Code, so this bill does not add any new costs to school districts
that are installing new playgrounds.

There may be costs to school districts that must bring existing
playgrounds into compliance with the federal playground safety
standards.  To completely replace an existing, non-compliant playground
with new equipment and surfacing could would cost about $15,000 to
$20,000 on average.  For many school districts, these funds would be
raised by student and parent/teacher organizations at the particular
schools.
  
  
Source Agencies:   701   Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, PF, RN