LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 8, 2013

TO:
Honorable Richard Peña Raymond, Chair, House Committee on Human Services
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2038 by Dukes (Relating to addressing disproportionality and disparities in the education, juvenile justice, child welfare, health, and mental health systems, the continuation and operation of the Interagency Council for Addressing Disproportionality, and the duties of the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2038, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,529,526) through the biennium ending August 31, 2015.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2014 ($800,596)
2015 ($728,930)
2016 ($728,930)
2017 ($728,930)
2018 ($728,930)




Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from
General Revenue Fund
1 		Probable Savings/(Cost) from
Federal Funds
555 		Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2013
2014 ($800,596) ($303,827) 14.2
2015 ($728,930) ($276,629) 14.2
2016 ($728,930) ($276,629) 14.2
2017 ($728,930) ($276,629) 14.2
2018 ($728,930) ($276,629) 14.2

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code to establish duties and reporting requirements for the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities (Center) at the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). The bill would require the Center to advise each health and human services, education, juvenile justice, child welfare, and mental health agency on the implementation of cultural competency training and to develop partnerships with community groups and agencies to support the delivery of culturally competent services to children and families.

The bill would amend the composition of the Interagency Council for Addressing Disproportionality. The bill would require the Council to develop and adopt a Texas model for addressing disproportionality and disparities in the education, juvenile justice, child welfare, health and mental health systems, and to implement the Texas model statewide. The bill would require the Council to report on the status of implementation of the Texas model to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislature by December 1, 2014.

The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house. If not, the bill would take effect September 1, 2013.


Methodology

The Texas Education Agency, the Office of the Attorney General, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and the Office of Court Administration all indicate that duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
 
It is estimated that costs for HHSC would total $1,104,423 in All Funds in fiscal year 2014 and $1,005,560 in All Funds in each subsequent fiscal year. Included in the method of finance is an assumption of estimated General Revenue and Federal Funds for health and human services enterprise costs; each health and human services agency would contribute to the costs of the benefit that would be provided by HHSC as a result of implementing the legislation.
 
HHSC anticipates needing an additional 14.2 full-time equivalents (FTEs) each fiscal year to expand the statewide capacity of the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities to implement provisions of the bill, including data collection and evaluation, coordinating pilot activities, and providing technical assistance and training.  The FTEs would include 5.0 Program Specialist IV, 1.0 Program Specialist V, 7.0 Program Specialist VI, 1.0 Research Specialist IV, and 0.2 Program Specialist III. It is estimated that benefits and salaries would total $902,056 each fiscal year. Additional costs for staffing, including furniture expenditures (one-time only), lease costs, travel, technology and telecom costs would total $202,367 in fiscal year 2014 and $103,504 each subsequent year.

Technology

The total technology costs included above are estimated to be $26,433 in FY 2014 and $16,344 each subsequent year for Telecom, Seat Management, Data Center Consolidation and IT costs. Additional capital authority of $33,510 for the 2014-15 biennium would be required for the technology impact.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 644 Texas Juvenile Justice Department, 701 Central Education Agency
LBB Staff:
UP, CL, MB, ES, VJC