LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
March 22, 2001
TO: Honorable Elliott Naishtat, Chair, House Committee on
Human Services
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB1218 by Chavez (Relating to nutritional assistance for
certain legal immigrants.), Committee Report 1st House,
Substituted
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB1218, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: negative impact *
* of $(27,575,288) through the biennium ending August 31, 2003. *
* *
* The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal *
* basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of *
* the bill. *
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General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $(14,436,138) *
* 2003 (13,139,150) *
* 2004 (13,542,053) *
* 2005 (13,944,955) *
* 2006 (14,347,858) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
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*Fiscal Probable Savings/(Cost) from Change in Number of State *
* Year General Revenue Fund Employees from FY 2001 *
* 0001 *
* 2002 $(14,436,138) 145.0 *
* 2003 (13,139,150) 145.0 *
* 2004 (13,542,053) 145.0 *
* 2005 (13,944,955) 145.0 *
* 2006 (14,347,858) 145.0 *
***************************************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to develop
and implement a food assistance program to provide nutritional
assistance to an immigrant who is a qualified alien as defined by
federal law, meets all food stamp program eligibility requirements
except those of 8 USC Section 1612, is not receiving assistance under a
similar DHS program, is not eligible for assistance under the Food Stamp
Program, and is disabled or less than 18 years of age or 60 years of age
or older.
Methodology
DHS estimated the number of State Immigrant Food Assistance Program
(SIFAP) recipients eligible each month to be 9,685 for FY 2002 through
2006. DHS assumed no increase or decrease in monthly eligible recipients
and assumed a benefit for the program equal to the benefit the SIFAP
eligible persons received as Food Stamp recipients adjusted by $3 per
person per year for the normal Food Stamp cost of living adjustment each
year. The benefit is the benefit per person, not the case benefit. DHS
also assumed initial certification and case management would be done by
field staff. The DHS estimate included a cost for automation of $660,000
in FY 2002.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: 324 Texas Department of Human Services
LBB Staff: JK, HD, ML