| TO: | Honorable Norma Chavez, Chair, House Committee on Border and International Affairs |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2796 by Chavez (Relating to a study by the Border Health Institute of health care delivery in the border area.), As Introduced |
The bill would require the Border Health Institute to conduct a study of healthcare delivery in the border area (all counties located in whole or in part within 100 kilometers of the Texas border with Mexico). The institute would be required to submit a report on the results of the study to the governor, lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and members of the legislature by no later than January 1, 2007.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2005 and the provisions of the bill would expire on September 1, 2007.
The Border Health Institute membership is composed of The University of Texas at El Paso; Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso; El Paso Community College; R.E. Thomason General Hospital; El Paso City/County Health District; The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health; El Paso County Medical Society; Paso del Norte Health Foundation; and the Texas Department of Health (now known as Texas State Health Services).
According to Attorney General Opinion Number GA-0280, December 10, 2004, the Border Health Institute is neither a state agency nor a local political subdivision; however, for the purposes of this fiscal analysis, the institute is considered a state entity because it is comprised of members from state agencies and institutes of higher education and receives some of its funding through appropriations to the University of Texas at El Paso.
Agencies associated with the institute indicate there would be little or no fiscal impact from their participation in a study. The Border Health Institute received funding of $284,375 through appropriations to the University of Texas at El Paso in each of fiscal years 2004 and 2005. The institute is also authorized to seek and accept funding from the federal government or other public or private entitity and may solicit and accept pledges, gifts, and endowments. It is assumed that the institute would be able to utilize these various funding sources to conduct the study and prepare a report.
| Source Agencies: | 537 Department of State Health Services, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 739 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, CL, JB, DLBa
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