| TO: | Honorable Norma Chavez, Chair, House Committee on Border and International Affairs |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB759 by Wilson (Relating to a transportation service to facilitate the purchase of medications near the state border with the United Mexican States.), As Introduced |
The bill would require the Texas Department on Aging to provide a low-cost transportation service to assist elderly individuals and other Texas residents in traveling to Mexico to purchase medications. The agency would be authorized to contract for the services and to charge a fee to each passenger in an amount necessary to recover operating costs of the service. The bill would take effect immediately if it were to receive two-thirds vote in each house; otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2003.
The Department of Aging assumes that these services would be provided by the local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) rather than directly by the department. The Department of Aging contracts with the AAAs to provide services regionally. Consumers would be charged a fee by the AAA to offset the cost of the program. Federal Older American Act funds would not be used, as federal regulations prohibit charging a fee for services rendered with Older American Act funds. Administrative oversight functions for this program would be absorbed within current appropriations and staffing.
| Source Agencies: | 340 Department on Aging
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| LBB Staff: | JK, EB, KF, DLBa, LW
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