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
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* 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. *
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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 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 *
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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