LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 20, 2005

TO:	Honorable Harold V. Dutton, Jr., Chair, House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB952 by Seliger (Relating to medical support for a child.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted

This estimate makes no presumtion as to the amount of wages required to pay for State Paid Children's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) services. 

The bill would require an obligor to pay an additional amount to the state for reimbursement of any cost incurred by the state in providing medical coverage. The bill specifies that the Health and Human Services Commission shall establish procedures for the collection by the commission of any amount owed by a child support obligor.  The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) reports that the Child Support Division is not authorized to spend IV-D funding to collect or process the reimbursement of CHIP costs. 

 

The OAG reports that 78% of their child support cases are Title IV-D cases.  As of March, 2005 this number represents 357,815 Medicaid Cases and 69,414 CHIP cases.  The estimated monthly General Revenue cost for a child Medicaid recipient is $76.42, which equals $917.04 annually.  

 

The estimated monthly General Revenue cost for a CHIP recipient is $30.89 which equals $370.68 annually. 

 

This estimate only reflects those cases which are handled through the OAG, it is not reflective of total state cases involving child support obligations where the children are recipients of children's Medicaid or CHIP services.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

302 Office of the Attorney General, 529 Health and Human Services Commission

LBB Staff:

JOB, PP, SSt, LB