LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 18, 2009

TO:	Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2845 by Riddle (Relating to the certification of and disciplinary actions against emergency medical services personnel.), As Engrossed

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2845, As Engrossed: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2011.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2010	$0
2011	$0
2012	$0
2013	$0
2014	$0

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Revenue Gain from General Revenue Fund 1	Probable (Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1	Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2009
2010	$13,568	($13,568)	0.2
2011	$20,250	($20,250)	0.3
2012	$20,250	($20,250)	0.3
2013	$20,250	($20,250)	0.3
2014	$20,250	($20,250)	0.3

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, to authorize the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to provide, upon request, a prescreening criminal history check for an emergency medical services personnel applicant prior to the applicant's completion of the educational and training requirements for certification. DSHS would be authorized to charge the applicant a reasonable fee for the costs associated with the requested prescreening. The bill would also remove the applicability of Chapter 53, Occupations Code, to individuals applying for emergency medical services personnel certification. The bill would instead provide authority in Chapter 773 for DSHS to revoke, suspend, disqualify for, or deny certification of emergency medical services personnel for certain criminal offenses.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2009; however, the authorization to provide prescreenings would apply only to an application submitted on or after January 1, 2010.

Methodology

DSHS indicates that 4,500 emergency medical services personnel are certified each year and estimates that 15 percent would request a prescreening (675 applicants per year). Calculations assume a $30 fee paid by each applicant who requests a criminal history prescreening. The bill would result in a total increase in revenue of $13,568 in fiscal year 2010 and $20,250 for each fiscal year thereafter from the prescreening fee paid by the applicant. DSHS would reimburse the Department of Public Safety for the $1 name check fee for each applicant.

DSHS would require 0.2 FTEs for fiscal year 2010 and 0.3 FTEs for each fiscal year thereafter. FTE costs would total $13,568 in General Revenue Funds for fiscal year 2010 and $20,250 for each fiscal year thereafter.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

405 Department of Public Safety, 537 State Health Services, Department of

LBB Staff:

JOB, CL, DB, VJC, MB