LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 14, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable David Sibley, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Business & Commerce
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB554  by Carona (Relating to grants by the Texas
               Workforce Commission to assist economically disadvantaged
               persons enrolled in qualified postsecondary career
               education programs.), Committee Report 1st House,
               Substituted
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB554, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted:  negative impact      *
*  of $(10,306,396) 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                         $(5,173,548)  *
          *       2003                          (5,132,848)  *
          *       2004                          (5,132,848)  *
          *       2005                          (5,132,848)  *
          *       2006                          (5,132,848)  *
          ****************************************************
  
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
  
***************************************************************************
*Fiscal    Probable Savings/(Cost) from     Change in Number of State     *
* Year         General Revenue Fund           Employees from FY 2001      *
*                      0001                                               *
*  2002                      $(5,173,548)                             2.0 *
*  2003                       (5,132,848)                             2.0 *
*  2004                       (5,132,848)                             2.0 *
*  2005                       (5,132,848)                             2.0 *
*  2006                       (5,132,848)                             2.0 *
***************************************************************************
  
Technology Impact
  
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) now estimates fiscal implications of
$40,700 of General Revenue in fiscal year 2002 to develop an automated
tracking system for the Texas Career Opportunity Grant Program. This
estimate is different from the estimate provided by the agency in the
fiscal note of the bill as introduced.
  
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill would add Chapter 305 to the Labor Code to establish the Texas
Career Opportunity Grant Program, which would provide tuition assistance
grants to Texas residents enrolled in postsecondary education programs
in a specific career field at a proprietary school in Texas. If enacted
with an appropriation of funds for the grant program, the bill would
take effect on September 1, 2001.
  
  
Methodology
  
The fiscal implications of the bill are estimated to be $5,173,548 in
fiscal year 2002 and $5,132,848 in fiscal year 2003 to General Revenue.
TWC estimates that $5 million of General Revenue in each year of the
operation of the program could fund approximately 2,500 individuals at
an average tuition grant of $2,000 per person. Based upon the operation
of similar programs at the agency, TWC estimates that the administration
of the tuition grant program would require one Program Specialist I FTE
at an annual salary of $41,800, and the monitoring of the tuition grant
program would require one Auditor IV FTE at an annual salary of $42,000.
Included in the total fiscal implications are operating and employee
benefit costs associated with the two FTEs. The two FTEs and associated
costs are estimated to be funded with General Revenue.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   320   Texas Workforce Commission, 304   Comptroller
                   of Public Accounts, 781   Texas Higher Education
                   Coordinating Board
LBB Staff:         JK, JO, HL