LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 22, 2009

TO:	Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1766 by Watson (Relating to informal caregiver support services.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would implement recommendations in the report, "Strengthen the Delivery of Informal Caregiver Support Services," in the Legislative Budget Board's Government Effectiveness and Efficiency Report submitted to the Eighty-first Texas Legislature, 2009.

The bill would amend Chapter 161 of the Human Resources Code to require the Department of
Aging and Disability Services (DADS) to coordinate with area agencies on aging and, to the extent considered feasible by the department, may coordinate with other local entities regarding public awareness outreach efforts related to informal caregiving.  Local entities are defined as area agencies on aging or other entities that provide services and support for older or disabled persons and their caregivers.

DADS is required to include a form in the functional eligibility determination process for Medicaid long-term care programs for older persons that identifies informal caregivers, and may include a form in other long-term care support service systems if considered feasible by the department.  DADS is required to develop and implement a protocol, including the use of a standardized assessment tool, to evaluate the needs of certain informal caregivers.  DADS is required to analyze data collected from both the caregiver form included in the functional eligibility determination process and the standardized assessment tool and to submit a report on the data to the governor and the Legislative Budget Board by December 1 of each even-numbered year with the initial report to be submitted by December 1, 2012. 

This bill would take effect September 1, 2009.

Implementing strategies to strengthen the current delivery of informal caregiver support services can help sustain the informal care system and has the potential to avoid future spending on Medicaid institutional long-term care.  It is assumed that any cost to implement the provisions of the bill would be minimal and can be absorbed within available resources.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

539 Aging and Disability Services, Department of

LBB Staff:

JOB, CL, JI, DM, TP