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
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* 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. *
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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:
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*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) *
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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