LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 1, 2013

TO:	Honorable Richard Peña Raymond, Chair, House Committee on Human Services
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1582 by Riddle (Relating to the drug screening and testing of certain persons seeking and receiving financial assistance benefits and the application requirements for those benefits; creating an offense.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require each adult applicant for and each adult recipient of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) financial assistance benefits to submit to a random, unannounced marihuana and controlled substance use screening. The bill would require the applicant or recipient to submit to a drug test if the screening indicates good cause to suspect the person of marihuana or controlled substance use. Should the drug test indicate the presence of a controlled substance, the person and the person's family would be ineligible for benefits. The bill would authorize certain re-application time frames. The bill would require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to collect from each applicant an affidavit executed by the person stating that the person will not use a controlled substance.

HHSC estimates there would be a General Revenue cost associated with implementing the provisions of the bill and a Federal Funds savings realized when families are determined ineligible and lose TANF benefits.  However, these are not anticipated to be significant. 

Local Government Impact

The bill would create a Class B misdemeanor. Costs associated with enforcement, prosecution and confinement could likely be absorbed within existing resources. Revenue from fines imposed and collected is not anticipated to have a significant fiscal impact.

Source Agencies:

320 Texas Workforce Commission, 529 Health and Human Services Commission

LBB Staff:

UP, CL, MB, ES, VJC, KKR