LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 24, 2013

TO:	Honorable Tryon D. Lewis, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB581 by Howard (Relating to a limited waiver of sovereign immunity for state and local governmental entities in certain employment lawsuits filed by nurses.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Occupations Code, Section 301 to waive sovereign immunity in lawsuits where a nurse employed by state or local government operated hospital alleges unlawful retaliation.

Multiple agencies including the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Office of Court Administration (OCA), the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) anticipate any additional work resulting from the passage of the bill could be reasonably absorbed within current resources. For higher education, the Texas A&M University System (TAMU) and the University of Texas System (UT) anticipate any additional work resulting from the passage of the bill could be reasonably absorbed within current resources.

Local Government Impact

To the extent that local governments owning or operating facilities that employ nurses are sued under the bill, there may be costs associated with this bill that would vary depending on the number of future cases.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 507 Texas Board of Nursing, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration

LBB Staff:

UP, CL, JI, JJO, CH, DEH, KKR