LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 17, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Criminal Justice
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB1413  by Lindsay (Relating to the reimbursement for
               health care services provided by hospitals who treat and
               provide medical care to crime victims pursuant to the
               Crime Victims' Compensation Act.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for    *
*  SB1413, As Introduced:  positive 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.                                                             *
**************************************************************************
  
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:
  
         *****************************************************
         * Fiscal Year      Probable Savings/(Cost) from      *
         *                Compensation to Victims of Crime    *
         *                      Account/ GR-Dedicated         *
         *                              0469                  *
         *      2002                             $(7,670,000) *
         *      2003                              (8,420,000) *
         *      2004                              (9,260,000) *
         *      2005                             (10,160,000) *
         *      2006                             (11,130,000) *
         *****************************************************
  
Fiscal Analysis
  
The bill amends the provisions in the Code of Criminal Procedure relating
to the crime victims compensation program.  Current statutory provisions
limit the amount of compensation payments to a victim to $50,000.  For
injuries that are considered catastropic, the limit is $100,000.  Under
the provisions of this bill, a non-profit or county hospital may receive
up to $100,000 for health care services it provides to a victim, in
addition to the payments made to the victim.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) estimates that the cost of
implementing the provisions of this bill would range from $7.67 million
in fiscal year 2002 to $11.13 million in fiscal year 2006, paid from the
Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund.
  
  
Methodology
  
The OAG assumed that the payments to hospitals would be made after the
medical bills exceeded the maximum amount that could be paid to the
victim.  Based on data from fiscal year 1998 claims, and factoring in
program and medical cost growth since 1998, the OAG projects that there
will be 162 cases in fiscal year 2002 where the medical bills will
exceed the maximum limits.  The average excess amount is projected to be
$47,369 per claim, for a total projected cost of $7.67 million in fiscal
year 2002.  By fiscal year 2006, the number of eligible claims is
projected to be 197, at an average excess amount of $56,488, for a total
cost of $11.13 million.
  
  
Local Government Impact
  
County hospitals and other non-profit public hospitals would receive a
portion of the above amounts as revenue.
  
  
Source Agencies:   302   Office of the Attorney General
LBB Staff:         JK, JC, SC