| TO: | Honorable John Carona, Chair, Senate Committee On Business & Commerce |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB512 by Carona (Relating to the specialized telecommunications assistance program.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Utilities Code to transfer responsibilities relating to the Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program from the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).
Based on information provided by the PUC and DARS, this analysis assumes that duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished at no significant cost to the state. All functions relating to the Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program (STAP) are currently funded through the Universal Service Fund (USF), which is a fund held outside the treasury. Under current law, the PUC and DARS receive reimbursements from the USF as estimated appropriations in each agency's budget for work related to STAP. The provisions of the bill would transfer the USF reimbursements from the PUC related to STAP responsibilities to DARS.
Based on information provided by the Health and Human Services Commission, it is also assumed that duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 473 Public Utility Commission of Texas, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 538 Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Department of, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
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| LBB Staff: | UP, RB, MW, ED
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