LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATURE 2nd CALLED SESSION - 2005

July 25, 2005

TO:	Honorable Dianne White Delisi, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB18 by Delisi (Relating to the expansion of faith- and community-based health and human services initiatives.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Section 1 requires the Office of the Governor to establish a Texas mentoring initiative to fund activities that create or expand mentoring opportunities, promote responsible fatherhood and healthy marriages, and increase the capacity of faith- and community-based organizations to provide mentoring services.  The grant-making requirement of this section would likely have a cost; it is assumed that any amount appropriated for this section would be expended through grants. However, the Office of the Governor indicates no fiscal impact for this section, and no cost is included.
 
Section 2 requires HHSC to establish a searchable Internet database of opportunities throughout the state for volunteers to provide assistance to state agencies in delivering services, and to faith- and community-based organizations that partner with a state agency to provide services.

Section 3 relates to the provision of human services through faith- and community-based organizations. The section requires a number of state agencies to designate liaisons for faith- and community-based organizations and creates an interagency coordinating group composed of these liaisons. The section requires that a center for faith- and community-based initiatives be established within HHSC. 

The section establishes the Renewing Our Communities Account as an account in the General Revenue Fund that may only be appropriated to HHSC. The section creates the faith- and community-based initiatives advisory committee.  The grant-making requirement of this section would likely have a cost. It is assumed that no funds would be appropriated to the Renewing Our Communities Account; all funds deposited to the account would be from gifts, grants, or donations received for the purposes of the subchapter. It is assumed that any funds deposited to the account would be expended on grants, and that the section would therefore be cost neutral. The amount of funds deposited to and expended from the account cannot be estimated at this time.
 
The bill may require adjustments to information technology, but it is assumed that any cost could be absorbed within existing resources.

The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all members of each house; if it does not, the bill would take effect on the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session.

Local Government Impact

The fiscal impact to local governmental entities and locally–owned and –operated hospitals will depend upon the structure of the models, programs, and initiatives designed and implemented by the executive commissioner of HHSC. It is assumed that local governmental entities and locally–owned and –operated hospitals will participate in these initiatives only if funds are available and it is financially feasible for the entity to develop and/or implement a program.

Source Agencies:

301 Office of the Governor, 313 Department of Information Resources, 320 Texas Workforce Commission, 332 Department of Housing and Community Affairs, 357 Office of Rural Community Affairs, 454 Department of Insurance, 503 Board of Medical Examiners, 527 Cancer Council, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 537 Department of State Health Services, 665 Juvenile Probation Commission, 694 Youth Commission, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 701 Central Education Agency, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 403 Veterans Commission, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration

LBB Staff:

JOB, WK, MB, KJG, KF, CL, PP, LR, RC