LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 14, 2003

TO:	Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB160 by Nelson (Relating to human organ donation education and distribution.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would direct the Department of Health (TDH) to develop a program to educate care providers and attorneys in Texas regarding anatomical gifts. Under the provisions of the bill, TDH would encourage attorneys to provide organ donation information to clients seeking legal advice for end-of-life decisions; encourage medical schools and nursing schools to include organ donation education in their curricula; and encourage hospitals to require that certain physicians complete an advance course in organ donation education. The bill would also require TDH to adopt rules to ensure that 20 percent of vascular organs received and distributed by a qualified organ procurement organization are reserved for individuals on a waiting list the longest at transplant centers in Texas.

TDH indicates that the agency could absorb any additional cost associated with implementing the provisions of the bill within the agency's existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:	501 Department of Health
LBB Staff:	JK, EB, KF, RM