LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 4, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Patricia Gray, Chair, House Committee on Public
               Health
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2383  by Allen (Relating to certain grounds for the
               denial of an application for, the refusal to renew, and
               the emergency suspension of a license as a licensed
               chemical dependency counselor.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  HB2383, 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:
  
***************************************************************************
*Fiscal    Probable Savings/(Cost) from    Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss)   *
* Year         General Revenue Fund         from General Revenue Fund     *
*                      0001                            0001               *
*  2002                        $(116,240)                        $116,240 *
*  2003                         (114,600)                         114,600 *
*  2004                         (116,240)                         116,240 *
*  2005                         (114,600)                         114,600 *
*  2006                         (116,240)                         116,240 *
***************************************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would require the Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA)
to obtain criminal history record information relating to an applicant
for a chemical dependency counselor license, and would establish
criteria for approving or denying a license.
  
  
Methodology
  
TCADA estimates the new requirements would not significantly impact the
number of applications or approvals.

The agency-estimated cost for obtaining information from the Department
of Public Safety is $15.  The agency-estimated cost for obtaining
information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation is $25.  The
estimated number of new applications and renewals per year totals 2,906
in 2002, 2,865 in FY 2003, 2,906 in FY 2004, 2,865 in FY 2004, and 2,906
in FY 2006.

It is assumed the agency would increase licensing fees to offset the new
cost of obtaining criminal history record information.  Therefore, the
net impact to the State would be zero.   However, it should be noted
that TCADA would require an increase in its appropriation in order to
implement the bill.  Moreover, an increase in the agency's General
Revenue appropriation would increase the state's future maintenance of
effort requirement for the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and
Treatment block grant--which is the agency's primary source of funding.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   405   Texas Department of Public Safety, 517   Texas
                   Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 360   State
                   Office of Administrative Hearings
LBB Staff:         JK, HD, PP