LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 26, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Patricia Gray, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Health
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1443  by Hawley (Relating to creating the rural
               physician relief program.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB1443, As Introduced:  an impact of $0 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                                   $0  *
          *       2003                                    0  *
          *       2004                                    0  *
          *       2005                                    0  *
          *       2006                                    0  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
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*Fiscal    Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss)    Probable Savings/(Cost) from   *
* Year       from New General Revenue     New General Revenue Dedicated   *
*                   Dedicated                                             *
*  2002                          $182,250                      $(182,250) *
*  2003                           243,000                       (243,000) *
*  2004                           243,000                       (243,000) *
*  2005                           243,000                       (243,000) *
*  2006                           243,000                       (243,000) *
***************************************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would require the Center for Rural Health Initiatives (CRHI) to
create a program to provide affordable relief to enable rural physicians
practicing in certain medical fields to take time away from their
practice.  The bill would require the CRHI to charge a fee that rural
physicians participating in the program would pay for the relief
service. The fees collected would be deposited into a special account in
the General Revenue fund to be appropriated only to the CRHI for
administration of the program. The bill would also allow the CRHI to
solicit and accept gifts, grants, donations, and contributions to
support the rural physician relief program. The CRHI would also be
required to recruit physicians to participate in the program as relief
physicians. Additionally, under provisions of the bill, a seven-member
rural physician relief advisory committee would be created to assist the
CRHI in administering the program. The bill would take effect September
1, 2001.
  
  
Methodology
  
The CRHI estimates 81 practitioners are eligible to  participate in the
relief service program. The agency also estimates a practitioner would
utilize 40 hours of relief services per year at a $75 per hour rate. It
is assumed three months start-up would be required in the first year;
therefore, the estimated program cost and amount of fees collected would
be $182,250 in FY 2002 and $243,000 in FYs 2003-06.  It is assumed the
CRHI would absorb any administrative costs incurred in implementing the
provisions of the bill. The General Appropriations Act would have to
authorize the reimbursement of travel and related expenses for members
of the advisory committee.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   50A   Center for Rural Health Initiatives
LBB Staff:         JK, HD, RM