LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 4, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Mike Moncrief, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Health & Human Services
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB368  by Zaffirini (Relating to permanency planning
               procedures for children in state institutions.), As
               Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
and appropriate health and human services agencies to develop uniform
procedures in the development of permanency plans for children residing
in state institutions.  These procedures should promote efficiency for
the agencies and stability for each child who is the subject of a
permanency plan.  The bill would further require that inspections include
a determination of compliance with permanency plan requirements,
establish a community resource coordination group, and provide for the
designation of an advocate.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) assumed the level of services
provided would be dependent on the level of funding appropriated through
the Promoting Independence exceptional item.  The Department of Mental
Health and Mental Retardation (MHMR) and the HHSC estimated they would
incur no significant fiscal impact.  MHMR stated that existing staff of
the Department's community center contractors for permanency planning
would be required.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   529   Health and Human Services Commission, 655   TX
                   Dept. of Mental Health & Mental Retardation, 324
                   Texas Department of Human Services
LBB Staff:         JK, HD, MB, DB, ML