LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 18, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Rene Oliveira, Chair, House Committee on Ways &
               Means
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB2456  by Gray (Relating to the authority of certain
               counties to implement a pilot program to provide certain
               indigent health care service and to the funding of the
               program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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The bill would amend Chapter 324 of the Tax Code to allow counties to
adopt a pilot program to provide indigent health care services and to
impose a sales and use tax to fund those services.

A pilot program would have a sunset date six years from the date the
program first provided services to county residents, unless otherwise
authorized by the voters of the county in an election.  The State Auditor
would have the right to review any pilot program and report the results
to the Legislature.

The bill would take effect immediately upon enactment, assuming that it
received the requisite two-thirds majority votes in both houses of the
Legislature.  Otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2001.
  
Local Government Impact
  
Because a county would be allowed to impose a sales and use tax to
recover the costs of the pilot program, no significant fiscal impact to
units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, SD, DB