LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 5, 2003

TO:
Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
 
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB1444 by Barrientos (Relating to safety regulations for extracurricular school athletic activities and civil consequences arising from noncompliance with those regulations; providing a criminal penalty.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1444, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($526,782) 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 ($50,000)
2005 ($476,782)
2006 ($476,782)
2007 ($476,782)
2008 ($476,782)




Fiscal Year Probable (Cost) from
GENERAL REVENUE FUND
1 		Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2003
2004 ($50,000) 0.0
2005 ($476,782) 7.0
2006 ($476,782) 7.0
2007 ($476,782) 7.0
2008 ($476,782) 7.0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill amends various provisions relating to student safety in extracurricular activities and requires the Commissioner of Education to develop and adopt a comprehensive safety training course.
 
The bill would add Section 33.104, Education Code to require schools to make proof of compliance with the training provisions available to the public.  The bill would make schools offering extracurricular athletic activities subject to inspection by the agency or local fire department for the purpose of determining compliance with training and physical examination requirements.  The bill would add Section 33.105, Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to maintain a toll-free telephone number to allow a person to report a violation of the bill’s provisions. 


Methodology

TEA would be required to develop and adopt a safety training course meeting the requirements of the bill, conduct on-site inspections of schools to determine compliance with training and physical examination provisions, and maintain a toll-free hotline to allow individuals to report violations.

Beginning in fiscal year 2005, ongoing costs would be incurred to maintain the toll-free telephone line required by the bill.  Based on costs associated with the state’s special education hotline, costs are estimated at about $720 per year for the telephone line ($60 per month).  The special education hotline receives about 1,000 calls per month and substantial staff time is involved in servicing the hotline and responding to calls. One-time costs to develop and adopt a safety training course meeting the requirements of the bill are estimated to be about $50,000.  Because the project is of short duration, it is assumed that contracted services would be used to accomplish the requirement. 

Beginning in fiscal year 2005, the bill would subject schools to on-site inspection by TEA or local fire departments to ensure compliance with safety training and physical examination requirements.  Because there are serious legal implications associated with noncompliance, it is assumed that the agency would be obligated to conduct some type of regular inspection process.  Incorporating inspection of school compliance with safety training and physical examination requirements into current monitoring activities would require additional staff at TEA of about 7.0 employees plus associated travel and operating expenses.  It is assumed that the inspection process would involve visiting more than 3,100 campuses over the course of a five-year monitoring cycle.


Local Government Impact

A large number of students, staff, and volunteers would need to complete the required training course each year.  The bill includes certification in CPR as one of the elements of the training.  Because Section 33.086 Education Code currently requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification for head coaches and sponsors of extracurricular athletic activities, those staff have been excluded from this estimate.  Based on data from the American Red Cross, the estimated cost of group training for first aid and CPR certification is about $50 per individual.  If about 10% of the students enrolled in grades 7-12 and 2-3 staff members per campus serving the same grade levels are required to complete the training at a cost of about $50 per individual, the annual cost statewide to comply with the training provision could approach $9.5 million.


Source Agencies:
701 Central Education Agency
LBB Staff:
JK, CT, UP, PQ