LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 29, 2005

TO:	Honorable Jeff Wentworth, Chair, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB952 by Seliger (Relating to relating to medical support for a child.), Committee Report 1st 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 that does not exceed 10 percent of the obligor's net income in a month to the state for reimbursement of any cost incurred by the state in providing medical coverage. The bill does not specify which agency would regulate and enforce this bill.  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