LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 11, 2007

TO:
Honorable Bill Callegari, Chair, House Committee on Government Reform
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB921 by Delisi (Relating to the sharing of information among state agencies.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would add a requirement that each state agency’s strategic plan be consistent with the state strategic plan and include a statement how the agency has implemented any applicable data sharing standards developed by the Texas Health Care Policy Council.  

The bill would require the Council to develop information sharing standards in consultation with the Department of Information Resources among participating agencies.  The proposed bill defines a participating agency to mean a state agency that provides social services, mental health services, substance abuse services, or health services. 

The bill would require that the standards developed by the Council:  require a participating agency to comply with any federal or state law relating to confidentiality of the information maintained or received by the agency; ensure the protection of personally identifiable information from inappropriate release; and include strategies for sharing information and procedures for transferring information. 

The bill would require the Department of Information Resources to publish the standards for data sharing on their website and notify the presiding officer of each house of the legislature of the publication of the data sharing standards. 

The bill would require a participating agency, in developing, procuring, and maintaining electronic and information resources systems to conform to common client information interchanges standards developed by the Council whenever possible and practicable to allow for the sharing of information among participating agencies to identify and coordinate the provision of necessary services to individuals in the state.   

The bill would also require that the Council, in consultation with the Department of Information Resources: analyze and compare how participating agencies with common clients manage and exchange information relating to those clients; to identify and rank in order of priority opportunities to improve an individual's interaction with multiple participant agencies; and emphasize the development of standards that facilitate data sharing without requiring a participating agency to make significant custom modifications to the agency's information system or to incur significant expenses. 

The bill would require the Council to publish the standards no later than September 1, 2008 and the requirements proposed would expire September 1, 2013. 

The Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services estimates a cost associated with implementing the provisions of the bill, however it is assumed this cost could be absorbed with existing resources.  

It is also assumed that any additional duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within existing state resources. 


Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
301 Office of the Governor, 313 Department of Information Resources, 320 Texas Workforce Commission, 323 Teacher Retirement System, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 538 Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Department of, 539 Aging and Disability Services, Department of, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board
LBB Staff:
JOB, EP, MN, MS, RC