| TO: | Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB2419 by Deuell (Relating to preventive treatment for state employees exposed to certain contagious diseases while performing duties of employment.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
Depending on the number and types of contagious disease exposures, and potential adjudication, there would be an indeterminate fiscal impact to the State.
The bill would amend the Government Code to add state employees to the category of people who can receive benefits for preventive treatment when exposed to contagious diseases. Previously, these benefits only extended to "public safety employees" such as peace officers, fire fighters, detention officers, county jailers, or emergency medical services employees of the state or political subdivisions of the state.
If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
The bill would expand the number of state employees who may be eligible for reimbursement of certain medical expenses; therefore, it is assumed there could be an increase in the number of workers’ compensation cases that are disputed by the State Office of Risk Management (SORM.) This would result in an increase in the number of workers’ compensation cases.
The Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) Tort Litigation Division handles workers’ compensation cases for SORM. It is assumed that legal costs associated with the potential increase in the number of cases could be absorbed by the OAG.
The University of Texas System indicated that provisions of the bill could significantly impact several of their institutions, primarily the health related institutions.
The other agencies contacted indicate that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed within existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 302 Office of the Attorney General, 405 Department of Public Safety, 454 Department of Insurance, 479 State Office of Risk Management, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department, 537 State Health Services, Department of
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, PJK, CL, SD
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