LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 9, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Mike Moncrief, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Health & Human Services
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB42  by Zaffirini (Relating to identifying and
               addressing the needs of certain recipients of financial
               assistance and dependent children of recipients of
               financial assistance.), Committee Report 1st House,
               Substituted
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB42, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted:  negative impact of    *
*  $(1,454,885) 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                           $(619,564)  *
          *       2003                            (835,321)  *
          *       2004                            (789,947)  *
          *       2005                            (749,580)  *
          *       2006                            (749,580)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
***************************************************************************
*Fiscal  Probable Savings/(Cost) from GR    Change in Number of State     *
* Year     MOE for Temporary Assistance       Employees from FY 2001      *
*               for Needy Families                                        *
*                      0759                                               *
*  2002                        $(619,564)                            14.0 *
*  2003                         (835,321)                            21.0 *
*  2004                         (789,947)                            21.0 *
*  2005                         (749,580)                            20.0 *
*  2006                         (749,580)                            20.0 *
***************************************************************************
  
Given the limited availability of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) federal funds, for the purpose of this fiscal note General
Revenue is assumed as the method of financing.  Should additional TANF
federal funds become available, $619,564 in FY 2002, and $835,321 in FY
2003, of General Revenue costs assumed above could be financed with TANF
federal funds.
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
Section 2 of the bill amends Chapter 31 of the Human Resources Code by
adding Section 31.00331 requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS)
to conduct a case review upon applications of a penalty to a TANF
recipient for noncompliance with THSteps, school attendance, and
parenting skills (effective September 1, 2001).  Section 3 adds section
31.011 requiring DHS to develop and implement a needs assessment for
TANF children and make appropriate referrals (effective January 1,
2002).
  
  
Methodology
  
DHS determined the number of new penalties in FY 2000 for noncompliance
with THSteps, school attendance, and parenting skills.  The TANF growth
rate was applied, and it was assumed that 15% of cases with penalties
will leave the rolls prior to review.  It was assumed that each case
review would take 10 minutes, and that 10% of clients would comply after
the review and referral, thus increasing the grant amount.

For the needs assessment of children, it was assumed that 25% of cases
with an eligibility determination will require a needs assessment, and
that it would take 15 minutes to conduct the assessment and make
referrals.
  
  
Source Agencies:   324   Texas Department of Human Services
LBB Staff:         JK, HD, KE