LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 25, 2005

TO:	Honorable Troy Fraser, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1580 by Zaffirini (Relating to the regulation of providers of wheeled mobility systems.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill relates to the regulation of providers of wheeled mobility systems.  All companies or organizations would be required to have a Qualified Rehabilitation Professional on staff if they provide any prescribed "wheeled mobility system" or any manual or power wheelchair or power-operated vehicle to a consumer under various conditions. 

The Department of Aging and Disability Services projects a cost for current DADS staff to obtain Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America certification of $6,000 for fiscal year 2006 and travel costs related to certification in the amount of $9,000 for fiscal year 2006.  Subsequent year costs would be related to additional training for the staff to maintain certification.  It is assumed that the costs can be absorbed within existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

302 Office of the Attorney General, 539 Department of Aging and Disability Services

LBB Staff:

JOB, JRO, KF, ML