LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 19, 2005

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

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB184, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,713,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2007.

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
2006	($1,461,000)
2007	($1,252,000)
2008	($1,252,000)
2009	($1,252,000)
2010	($1,252,000)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

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)

Fiscal Analysis

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.

Methodology

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.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 503 Board of Medical Examiners

LBB Staff:

JOB, CL, MW, NV