Honorable Harold V. Dutton, Jr., Chair, House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB233 by Goodman (Relating to standing to file a suit requesting termination of the parent-child relationship or adoption.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB233, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,090,661) through the biennium ending August 31, 2005.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2004
($1,132,077)
2005
($958,584)
2006
($1,024,736)
2007
($1,166,402)
2008
($1,247,532)
Fiscal Year
Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) fromGENERAL REVENUE FUND 1
Given the limited availability of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) federal funds, for the purpose of this fiscal note, General Revenue is assumed as the method of financing. Should additional TANF federal funds be available, $560,394 in FY 2004 and $474,513 in FY 2005 could be financed with TANF.
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would allow a pregnant woman or a parent of a child to confer standing to a prospective adoptive parent. The bill would outline the contents of a statement to confer standing in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. The Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (PRS) states that the new mechanism for standing would result in an additional party's participation in its cases involving Temporary Managing Conservatorship (TMC) that involve a permanency plan of adoption and increased length of the proceedings.
Methodology
It is assumed that 1/3 of the children in TMC have a permanency plan of adoption. It is assumed that 1/2 of these cases would confer standing to a prospective adoptive parent and that 1/2 of such cases would result in prolonged court proceedings. It is assumed that the average monthly cost of providing foster care is $1778 and that the prolonged proceedings would result in one additional month of care. The number of cases in which standing would be confered to a prospective adoptive parent are 1814, 1536, 1642, 1869, and 1999 in FYs 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, respectively.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
530 Department Of Protective And Regulatory Services