LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session May 24, 2001 TO: Honorable Bill Ratliff, Lieutenant Governor Honorable James E. "Pete" Laney, Speaker of the House FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: SB516 by Madla (Relating to creating the rural physician relief program.), Conference Committee Report ************************************************************************** * Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for * * SB516, Conference Committee Report: 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 Revenue Gain/(Loss) Probable Savings/(Cost) from * * Year from New General Revenue New General Revenue Dedicated * * Dedicated * * 2002 $182,250 $(182,250) * * 2003 243,000 (243,000) * * 2004 243,000 (243,000) * * 2005 243,000 (243,000) * * 2006 243,000 (243,000) * *************************************************************************** Fiscal Analysis The bill would require the Center for Rural Health Initiatives (CRHI) to create a program to provide affordable relief that would enable rural physicians practicing in certain medical fields to take time away from their practice. The bill would require the CRHI to charge a fee that rural physicians participating in the program would pay for the relief service. The fees collected would be deposited into a special account in the general revenue fund to be appropriated only to the CRHI for administration of the program. The bill would also allow the CRHI to solicit and accept gifts, grants, donations, and contributions to support the rural physician relief program. The CRHI would also be required to recruit physicians to participate in the program as relief physicians. Additionally, under provisions of the bill, an eight-member rural physician relief advisory committee would be created to assist the CRHI in administering the program. The Act would take effect September 1, 2001. Methodology The CRHI estimates 81 practitioners are eligible to participate in the relief service program. The agency also estimates a practitioner would utilize 40 hours of relief services per year at a $75 per hour rate. It is assumed a three month start-up would be required, therefore, the estimated program costs and amount of fees collected would be $182,250 in FY 2002, and $243,000 in fiscal years 2003-2006. It is assumed the CRHI could absorb any administrative costs incurred in implementing the provisions of the bill within its existing resources. The General Appropriations Act would have to authorize the reimbursement of travel and related expenses for members of the advisory committee. Local Government Impact No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: 50A Center for Rural Health Initiatives LBB Staff: JK, HD, DB, RM