SRC-VRA C.S.H.B. 2350 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterC.S.H.B. 2350 78R14747 JRD-FBy: Dawson (Nelson) Health & Human Services 5/19/2003 Committee Report (Substituted) DIGEST AND PURPOSE Current law for youth camp licensing caps the amount that may be charged by the Texas Department of Health (TDH) for issuing a license and conducting inspections of youth camps. Residential youth camps are charged $40 and day youth camps are charged $25. Currently, the program does not generate sufficient fees to cover the operating costs. C.S.H.B. 2350 allows the Board of Health to set fees for youth camp licensees in an amount that will reasonably cover the direct and indirect cost of administering the program. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Board of Health in SECTION 1 (Section 141.0035, Health and Safety Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 141, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 141.0035, as follows: Sec. 141.0035. LICENSE FEES. (a) Requires the Texas Board of Health (board) by rule to establish the amount of the fee for obtaining or renewing a license under this chapter. Requires the board to set the fee in a reasonable amount designed to recover the direct and indirect costs to the Texas Department of Health (TDH) of administering and enforcing this chapter. Authorizes the board to set fees in a different amount for resident youth camps and day youth camps to reflect differences in the costs of administering and enforcing this chapter for resident and day camps. (b) Requires the board, before adopting or amending a rule under Subsection (a), to solicit comments and information from the operators of affected youth camps and allow affected youth camp operators the opportunity to meet with appropriate TDH staff who are involved with the rulemaking process. SECTION 2. Amends Section 141.004(a), Health and Safety Code, to require a person, in order to obtain a license, to submit a license application accompanied by a license fee in an amount set by the board, rather than pay certain fees. SECTION 3. Amends Section 141.005(b), Health and Safety Code, to require the application to be accompanied by a renewal fee in an amount set by the board, rather than $40 for a resident camp or $25 for a day camp. SECTION 4. Requires the Texas Board of Health to adopt rules to implement the change in law made by this Act as soon as practicable. Requires the Texas Department of Health, until the board's rules take effect, to continue to charge the amounts prescribed for a license fee under Section 141.004 or 141.005, Health and Safety Code, as applicable, as those sections existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, and provides that the prior law is continued in effect for this purpose. SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 2003.