LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 31, 2003

TO:	Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1510 by Zaffirini (Relating to monitoring compliance of public school bilingual education and special language programs.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1510, As Introduced: a positive impact of $640,538 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.

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2004	$320,269
2005	$320,269
2006	$320,269
2007	$320,269
2008	$320,269

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Savings from GENERAL REVENUE FUND 1	Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2003
2004	$320,269	(5.0)
2005	$320,269	(5.0)
2006	$320,269	(5.0)
2007	$320,269	(5.0)
2008	$320,269	(5.0)

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would change the requirement for on-site compliance visits to school district bilingual education programs from a three-year to a five-year cycle. The bill would also authorize but not require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to combine bilingual education compliance visits with on-site inspections of special education programs.

Methodology

This note is based on analyses produced by the Texas Education Agency.

The bilingual five-year cycle would constitute a savings to TEA in personnel time of five full-time employees and $193,932 in annual personnel costs. The corresponding savings in travel costs and other operating expenses associated with the reduction from 365 to 236 visits in a year would result in a savings of $126,337 per year.

Under current law, the third year of the three-year cycle for bilingual education visits will be completed in 2003-04. In order to complete the current cycle, 236 single bilingual education visits have been scheduled and 129 additional visits are scheduled for a total of 365 bilingual education visits.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

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