LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session March 15, 2001 TO: Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair, Senate Committee on Education FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: SB216 by Bernsen (Relating to the grants from the telecommunication infrastructure fund for telemedicine services.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted ************************************************************************** * No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** Broadening the definition of telemedicine projects eligible for telecommunications infrastructure fund (TIF) funding to include those of for-profit entities would not represent any additional cost to the state. Rather, this bill would involve a redistribution of available TIF funds in the "qualifying entities" account, which currently funds grants to not-for-profit health facilities, institutions of higher education, libraries and collaborative consortia of eligible entities. To the extent that all grant funds in this account are awarded by the TIF Board, adding another set of eligible entities may reduce the number and/or amount of grants made to the currently eligible entities. Local Government Impact No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: 367 Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board LBB Staff: JK, CT, JM