Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair, Senate Committee on Government Organization
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB402 by Nelson (Relating to the administration and functions of the Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Occupations Code to implement certain recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission and continue the Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners (board) in existence until 2017. The board operates as a state agency funded primarily to license podiatric physicians and regulate podiatric medicine in Texas.
The bill would authorize the board to reimburse board members for travel expenses including meals and lodging, to conform to the Podiatry Act with the General Appropriations Act. According to Sunset Staff, allowing board members to receive reimbursement for meals and lodging, would cost the board $4,780 per year. Under current law, the agency is required to cover its operation costs with generated revenue.
The bill would provide a new way to calculate renewal fees for a person whose license has been expired for 90 days or less, and for a person whose license has been expired for more than 90 days but less than one year. The bill would change the basis of the board's late license renewal fee from the cost of an exam taken for licensure to the standard renewal fee, and would require the agency to assess a renewal fee equal to one and one-half times the required renewal fee for the renewal of a license that has been expired for 90 days or less and twice the required renewal fee to renew a license that would be expired for more than 90 days. Based on a total of 31 late license renewal collections received in fiscal year 2004 and the analysis of the Sunset Staff, it is assumed that basing the penalty for delinquent license renewal on the license fee, rather than the exam fee, would result in a revenue gain of $3,315 to the General Revenue Fund each year.
This bill would take effect September 1, 2005.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
116 Sunset Advisory Commission, 512 Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners