LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 18, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable David Sibley, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Business & Commerce
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB851  by Duncan (Relating to changing the name of the
               Texas Workers' Compensation Commission to the Texas
               Department of Workers' Compensation, and to the powers
               and duties of the governing authority of that
               department.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would change the governing authority, powers and duties of the
Texas Workers' Compensation Commission, as well as renaming the agency
the "Texas Department of Workers' Compensation".  The current six-member
commission and executive director positions would be abolished and
replaced with one Commissioner appointed by the Governor for two-year
terms.  The Commissioner would assume the duties of agency
administration.  Although some savings would be realized from the
elimination of the commission, the savings would not be significant.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated. Any impact would be due to reprinting costs for forms and
publications generated by the local government.  Workers' Compensation
Commission forms would be provided through a reprint at the agency's
expense.
  
  
Source Agencies:   453   Texas Workers' Compensation Commission, 478
                   Research and Oversight Council on Workers'
                   Compensation, 324   Texas Department of Human
                   Services, 479   State Office of Risk Management, 454
                   Texas Department of Insurance, 320   Texas
                   Workforce Commission
LBB Staff:         JK, JO, RT, KM