LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 28, 2003

TO:	Honorable Frank Corte, Chair, House Committee on Defense Affairs and State-Federal Relations
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB627 by Reyna (Relating to an area quarantine in response to a bioterrorist attack; providing a criminal penalty. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill relates to an area quarantine in response to a bioterrorist attack and imposes a criminal penalty. The bill would allow the Commissioner of Health or a health authority to impose an area quarantine in the event of a bioterrorist attack. The agency indicates the agency could not calculate the cost of imposing an area quarantine because of the many variables. TDH assumed that administative costs associated with revising the department's disaster plan would be absorbed within the agency's existing resources.

The Commission on Environmental Quality indicates the agency anticipates no fiscal implications due to the implementation of this bill.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. The Department of Health indicates that those local governments that employ health authorities may incur administrative costs associated with revising their disaster plans. 

Source Agencies:	501 Department of Health, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 696 Department of Criminal Justice
LBB Staff:	JK, WK, KF, RM, KG