LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
April 3, 2001
TO: Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair, Senate Committee on
Education
FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: SB1141 by West, Royce (Relating to eliminating the Texas
Academic Skills Program and allowing institutions to
select a test to assess students' proficiency and need
for remediation.), As Introduced
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* Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for *
* SB1141, As Introduced: positive impact of $846,000 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 Net Impact:
****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) *
* Impact to General Revenue Related *
* Funds *
* 2002 $748,000 *
* 2003 98,000 *
* 2004 748,000 *
* 2005 98,000 *
* 2006 748,000 *
****************************************************
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
*****************************************************
* Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from *
* General Revenue Fund *
* 0001 *
* 2002 $748,000 *
* 2003 98,000 *
* 2004 748,000 *
* 2005 98,000 *
* 2006 748,000 *
*****************************************************
Fiscal Analysis
The bill eliminates the TASP test, but continue to allow institutions of
higher education to assess entering undergraduate students and set their
own standards for developmental education.
Methodology
The bill would eliminate the TASP test. Fee waivers currently granted to
students would no longer be needed, saving $98,000 per year. This
fiscal note assumes an additional savings of $650,000 in the first year
of each biennium related to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board's funding of the Developmental Education Accountability Pilot
Programs. Because allocation of funds in the pilot programs is based on
student performance on a uniform statewide assessment instrument, we
assume elimination of TASP would eliminate the basis for this funding.
Although institutions would still conduct internal assessment of incoming
students, elimination of the TASP and subsequent mandatory developmental
education could result in a 10 percent decrease in course based
developmental education - thus reducing developmental education expenses
by $9,150,000 each year. However, these amounts would not impact State
appropriations. Since appropriations for formula amounts are based on
historical enrollment, this reduction in developmental education course
work would not be incurred until fiscal year 2004. Further, it is
assumed that students who would have otherwise been enrolled in
developmental education courses would instead enroll in for credit
undergraduate courses, resulting in no overall reduction in course work
for state formula funding purposes.
To the extent that some students could begin earning courses for credit
rather than non-credit developmental education courses, these students
could graduate sooner, but these savings would not be incurred during
the time period covered by this fiscal note.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
Source Agencies: 781 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
LBB Staff: JK, CT, PF, DB