TO: | Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services |
FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
IN RE: | SB1131 by Harris (Relating to funding of certain emergency medical services, trauma facilities, and trauma care systems. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
Fiscal Year | Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds |
---|---|
2004 | $0 |
2005 | $0 |
2006 | $0 |
2007 | $0 |
2008 | $0 |
Fiscal Year | Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) fromNew General Revenue Dedicated—Emergency Medical Services, Trauma Facilities, and Trauma Care Systems | Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) fromMunicipalities and Counties |
---|---|---|
2004 | $3,082,000 | $343,000 |
2005 | $4,709,000 | $523,000 |
2006 | $4,798,000 | $533,000 |
2007 | $4,890,000 | $543,000 |
2008 | $4,982,000 | $554,000 |
The bill would amend statutes affecting funding for emergency medical services, trauma facilities, and trauma care systems. The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code to increase from $250,000 to $500,000 the reserve required for the General Revenue Account 5007—Advisory Commission on Emergency Communications (GR Account 5007) and to create the GR Account—Emergency Medical Services, Trauma Facilities, and Trauma Care Systems. The reserve for the new account would also be $500,000. The allotment from the fund for local emergency medical services, the trauma service area regional advisory councils, and for uncompensated care would also be adjusted.
The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to impose a $100 court cost fee on persons convicted of certain intoxication offenses.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2003 and would apply only to intoxication offenses committed on or after that date.
NOTE: According to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the legislation would do one or more of the following: create or recreate a dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund, create or recreate a special or trust fund either with or outside of the Treasury, or create a dedicated revenue source. The fund, account, or revenue dedication included in the bill would be subject to funds consolidation review by the current Legislature.
The Comptroller of Public Accounts provided estimates for the fiscal impact of the bill as it relates to imposing a $100 court cost fee using data on driving while intoxicated/under the influence convictions only, because conviction data on other intoxication offenses to which the bill would apply are not available in a central location. Data used was that reported in the most recent "Annual Report of the Texas Judicial System." Revenue was adjusted for the effective date of the bill and an assumed collection rate level.
The bill would increase the reserve required for the General Revenue Account 5007—Advisory Commission on Emergency Communications (GR Account 5007) from $250,000 to $500,000. The allotment from the fund for local emergency medical services would be reduced from 70 percent to 50 percent of the money remaining in the fund after any amount necessary to maintain the reserve is deducted; the allotment for the trauma service area regional advisory councils would be decreased from 25 percent to 20 percent; and the allotment for uncompensated care would increase from 2 percent to 27 percent. Unspent portions of allotments could be retained for use in the following fiscal year; however, any unused portions after the following fiscal year shall be returned to the account.
The bill would impose a $100 court cost fee on persons convicted of certain intoxication offenses. Counties would be required to remit 90 percent of the fees collected to the Comptroller of Public Accounts each quarter, retaining 10 percent at the local level. The Comptroller would deposit the revenue into the new GR Account—Emergency Medical Services, Trauma Facilities, and Trauma Care Systems.
It is assumed that the changes in percentages of allotments would not have a fiscal impact on the state because the same amount of money is being used, but would be distributed at a different rate per category.
Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 410 Criminal Justice Policy Council, 501 Department of Health
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LBB Staff: | JK, JO, EB, KF, DLBa
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