LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
April 9, 2001
TO: Honorable Paul Sadler, Chair, House Committee on Public
Education
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB1438 by Olivo (Relating to minimum salaries for
interpreters employed in public schools to provide
interpreting services to students who are deaf or hard
of hearing.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* HB1438, As Introduced: negative impact of $(6,360,000) 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. *
**************************************************************************
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $(3,180,000) *
* 2003 (3,180,000) *
* 2004 (3,180,000) *
* 2005 (3,180,000) *
* 2006 (3,180,000) *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 *
* 2002 $(3,180,000) *
* 2003 (3,180,000) *
* 2004 (3,180,000) *
* 2005 (3,180,000) *
* 2006 (3,180,000) *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill creates a minimum salary for interpreters employed by school
districts to provide services to students who are deaf or hard of
hearing. The minimum annual salary for a 10-month contract would range
from $18,000 for an interpreter with no certification to $29,000 for an
interpreter with Level V certification. The bill would require that
interpreters receive a proportionate raise in minimum salary each time
the minimum salary requirements in Section 21.402 Education Code are
increased.
Methodology
This fiscal note assumes that additional salary costs would be borne by
increasing state appropriations for the Regional Day Schools for the
Deaf. To assess the impact of the schedule on school personnel, the
Texas Education Agency (TEA) conducted a survey of these schools.
Based on the survey results, about 543 deaf interpreters are employed by
school districts. Based on the reported pay of these individuals, the
minimum salary structure proposed by this bill would increase salary
costs by about $3.0 million annually.
Increases in school district employee salaries have an impact on the
state's contributions to the Teacher Retirement System. At the current
contribution rate of 6%, the cost to the state of the minimum salary
changes would likely be about $180,000 per year.
Local Government Impact
Local salary costs would increase by about $3.0 million annually. To the
extent that state appropriations for the Regional Day Schools for the
Deaf are not increased sufficiently to cover the costs or that
interpreters employed by a district are not part of the Regional Day
Schools program, school districts would incur added costs.
Source Agencies: 701 Texas Education Agency
LBB Staff: JK, CT, PF, RN