LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 12, 2009

TO:	Honorable Joe Straus, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1684 by Brown, Betty (Relating to the creation and administration of the rural veterinarian loan repayment program.), As Passed 2nd House

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Government Code to create a rural veterinarian loan repayment program in the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA). The bill would require ORCA to adopt rules to implement this program. The bill would establish that the program would be funded by the Permanent Endowment Fund for Rural Communities Health Care Investment Program (Fund) which is held outside the treasury. The bill would require that any funds recovered under a promissory note would be deposited into the Fund. The amount available for distribution from the fund would be appropriated equally for the rural veterinarian loan repayment program and the health professional loan reimbursement program, which currently receives all appropriations from the Fund.  The bill would require the Comptroller of Public Accounts to publish a determination in the Texas Register regarding if the legislature has made a specific appropriation for this bill.

Based on the analysis provided by ORCA, any costs associated with the implementation of the bill could be absorbed within existing agency resources.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 357 Office of Rural Community Affairs

LBB Staff:

JOB, SZ, MW, CH, SD