LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session April 3, 2001 TO: Honorable Toby Goodman, Chair, House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB1767 by Goolsby (Relating to certain information available to adopted persons.), As Introduced ************************************************************************** * Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for * * HB1767, As Introduced: positive 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: ************************************************************************** *Fiscal Probable Probable Revenue Change in Number of * * Year Savings/(Cost) from Gain/(Loss) from State Employees from * * Vital Statistics Vital Statistics FY 2001 * * Account/ Account/ * * GR-Dedicated GR-Dedicated * * 0019 0019 * * 2002 $(84,491) $135,000 2.0 * * 2003 (91,089) 135,000 3.0 * * 2004 (91,089) 135,000 3.0 * * 2005 0 9,459 0.0 * * 2006 0 9,459 0.0 * ************************************************************************** Fiscal Analysis The bill would require the State Registrar (Department of Health) to make the original birth certificate and filed documents that support the supplementary certificate (sealed records) available without a court order to certain individuals, including an adopted child at least 21 years of age, an adoptive parent, or an adult descendant or surviving spouse of a deceased adopted child. The bill would allow a birth parent who files an updated medical and genetic history to file a contact preference form with the State Registrar and would allow the State Registrar to charge the birth parent a reasonable fee to cover the costs to comply with this requirement. The State Registrar is also required to deliver the medical and genetics history report and the contact preference form to the adopted child if the adopted child makes an inquiry to the State Registrar. Methodology According to the Department of Health, there are approximately 300,000 sealed files over 21 years. TDH estimates that 15% or 45,000 of these files would be requested in the first three years. Beginning FY 2005, TDH estimates that the number of sealed files over 21 years would be 7,009 per year resulting in 1,051 requests per year in FY 2005-06. According to TDH, a four month start up period would be required, resulting in the need for 2 FTEs in FY 2002 and 3 FTEs in FY 2003-04 to implement the provisions of the bill. TDH indicates that the additional FTEs would not be needed in FY 2005-06. TDH estimates total salary and benefits in FY 2002 would be $59,142 in FY 2002 and $88,713 per year in FY 2003-04. It is assumed that other operating cost would total $18,849 in FY 2002 and $2,376 per year in FY 2003-04. A one time equipment cost of $6,500 is assumed for FY 2002 for the purchase of 3 personal computers and 1 printer. TDH estimates that revenue collected and deposited in the GR-Dedicated Account No. 019 Vital Statistics Fund would total $135,000 each year of FY 2002-04, based on 15,000 records requested at $9.00 per request. TDH estimates that in FY 2005-06 the amount of revenue collected and deposited in this fund would total $9,459 per year. TDH indicates no impact to the general revenue fund associated with implementing the provisions of the bill. Local Government Impact No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: 501 Texas Department of Health LBB Staff: JK, JC, KF, RM