LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session April 16, 2001 TO: Honorable Frank Madla, Chair, Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: SB1108 by Bernsen (Relating to certain employee benefits for tuberculosis contracted by a public safety employee.), As Introduced ************************************************************************** * No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. * ************************************************************************** The bill would make the assumption that a public safety employee who contracts tuberculosis (TB) did so in the course and scope of their employment. The provisions of the bill would require the employing political subdivision to pay the employee salary and benefits until the employee's death and to reimburse the employee for all medical expenses incurred as a result of contracting TB. Local Government Impact According to information provided by the Texas Department of Health (TDH), TB is a treatable and curable bacterial infection. After diagnosis, most patients are treated for a total of six months, although more drug resistant cases may require up to 24 months of treatment. Statistically, most cases are uncomplicated and are treated successfully in six months. TDH indicated that the cost of diagnosis, treatment, and management of an uncomplicated case totals approximately $5,000. That cost includes clinic visits, medications, diagnostic tests, cultures, and directly observed therapy. TDH stated that TB patients who obtain treatment do not die from the disease. TDH said there were 1,506 cases of TB reported in Texas in calendar year 2000 and 58 percent of those cases were contracted by persons who were unemployed. The statistics did not indicate if any of the persons with TB in 2000 were public safety employees. If one public safety employee per year were to contract TB, under the provisions of the bill, the public employer would incur a cost of a minimum of $5,000 for medical treatment plus salary and benefits for the remainder of the person's life, which could be significant since TB is not anticipated to shorten the individual's lifespan. Source Agencies: 405 Texas Department of Public Safety, 501 Texas Department of Health LBB Staff: JK, DB, DG