TO: | Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services |
FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
IN RE: | SB184 by Janek (Relating to an exemption for certain physicians from the requirement to pay a registration fee.), As Introduced |
Fiscal Year | Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds |
---|---|
2006 | ($1,461,000) |
2007 | ($1,252,000) |
2008 | ($1,252,000) |
2009 | ($1,252,000) |
2010 | ($1,252,000) |
Fiscal Year | Probable Revenue (Loss) from GENERAL REVENUE FUND 1 |
Probable Revenue (Loss) from Physician Enforcement Account 8074 |
---|---|---|
2006 | ($1,461,000) | ($199,000) |
2007 | ($1,252,000) | ($149,000) |
2008 | ($1,252,000) | ($149,000) |
2009 | ($1,252,000) | ($149,000) |
2010 | ($1,252,000) | ($149,000) |
The bill would amend the Occupations Code to exempt a physician who is at least 70 years of age from paying the fee for a renewal of a permit. The bill would reduce revenues collected from physicians that are exempt from paying the fee.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2005.
The Board of Medical Examiners estimates that 3,737 physicians would currently fall into the exempt category and 1,869 physicians on average would become eligible for this exemption each year.
The biennial registration permit fee includes the registration fee ($260), the professional fee ($400), the SB 104, 78th Legislature, Regular Session, surcharge ($80), the Office of Patient Protection fee ($2), and the TexasOnline fee ($8). The board began biennial licensing January 2005; by January 2006, all physician license renewals will be biennial. According to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the annual fee totals $415, of which $335 is deposited to the General Revenue Fund 0001 and $80 is deposited to GR Account 5105—Public Assurance. The biennial fee totals $750, of which $670 is deposited to Fund 0001 and $80 is deposited to GR Account 5105. Because the bill would take effect before full implementation of biennial licensing, the figures for fiscal 2006 were adjusted accordingly.
The Board of Medical Examiners estimates that it would incur a cost of $1,200 for printing and postage costs associated with producing and mailing the registration forms to each of the physicians being exempt. It is assumed that these costs could be absorbed within the agency's current resources.
Source Agencies: | 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 503 Board of Medical Examiners
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LBB Staff: | JOB, CL, MW, NV
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