LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 16, 2009

TO:	Honorable Rob Eissler, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB2178 by Shapleigh (Relating to the establishment by the commissioner of education of a computer lending pilot program for public schools.), As Engrossed

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would create a computer lending pilot program.  It would require the commissioner of education to establish a pilot program to provide computers to participating public schools that make computers available for use by students and parents.
 
The bill would require the commissioner of education to implement procedures for distributing to participating schools any surplus or salvage data processing equipment made available to the program or computers donated or purchased for that purpose with funds from any available source.  The bill would require the commissioner, by January 1 of each year, to submit to the legislature a report regarding the program.
 
The bill stiplutes that if a state agency's surplus or salvage data processing equipment is not transferred to another entity, the state agency would make the equipment available to the commissioner of education for use in the computer lending pilot program. The bill would require that if the surplus or salvage data processing equipment of a state charity organization or an institution or agency of higher education is not disposed of under other law, the entity make the equipment available to the commissioner of education for use in the computer lending pilot program. 

The pilot program and its enabling legislation would expire September 1, 2014.  

According to the Texas Education Agency, implementation would require one additional Program Specialist VI position, including approximately $68,500 in salary and benefits, to assist with establishing procedures to administer the pilot program and preparing the required annual report. The position would also be responsible for writing commissioner rules for the program, tracking inventory of computer-based equipment at the state level, and providing technical assistance. Other operating costs, for a cubicle, a PC, a phone, and supplies for the new position, would be $16,000 in fiscal year 2010. Other operating costs would be $8,000 annually in subsequent fiscal years.

Local Government Impact

Participating schools would incur costs to operate computer lending programs and to develop these programs if they did not already operate them. Costs would vary depending on the size of the program a school chose to operate.

Source Agencies:

701 Central Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JOB, JSp, JGM, RN