Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB955 by Schwertner (Relating to the training of employees of local mental health authorities and certain educators in mental health first aid and the establishment of the mental health first aid fund.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB955, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,490,250) 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
($1,236,907)
2015
($1,253,343)
2016
($1,253,343)
2017
($1,253,343)
2018
($1,253,343)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2014
($1,236,907)
2015
($1,253,343)
2016
($1,253,343)
2017
($1,253,343)
2018
($1,253,343)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code and the Education Code as it relates to the training of employees of local mental health authorities and certain educators in mental health first aid. The bill would direct employees of the Local Mental Health Authorities (LMHA) to be trained on mental health first aid and to serve as trainers for educators. Under the provisions of the bill, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) shall establish grants of not more than $30,000 to LMHAs to contract with a mental health first aid trainer to train the LMHA employees. Additionally, DSHS would be required to provide grants to LMHAs not to exceed 5% of the $30,000 grant for the provision of providing a twelve hour mental health first aid training to educators at no cost. The bill would require the LMHAs to provide annually a list of LMHA employees trained and a list of educators trained by the LMHA. The bill would require DSHS to provide this information in an annual report to the legislature. The bill requires the State Board of Educator Certification to adopt rules to allow an educator to fulfill up to twelve hours of continuing education by participating in the mental health training program created by the bill.
Methodology
DSHS anticipates that the cost to provide the grants would be $30,000 per year for each of the 37 LMHAs. Additionally, DSHS would be required to provide $1,500 per year to each of the 37 LMHAs to provide training to the educators. DSHS anticipates the agency cost to administer the grants would require one FTE at a total cost of $71,407 in fiscal year 2014 and $87,843 in fiscal year 2015 and beyond. The agency can absorb the additional FTE authority within its existing FTE cap.
Should the grants be less than $30,000 per LMHA, the cost to implement the bill would be less. Based on the analysis provided by the Texas Education Agency, the bill has no direct fiscal implications for the Foundation School Program (FSP) or the operations of the TEA.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. School districts could experience some administrative costs if educators took part in mental health first aid training during normal classroom time if the districts were required to hire substitute teachers. These costs would be dependent on when the training program was offered and how many staff took part in the training.
Source Agencies:
537 State Health Services, Department of, 701 Central Education Agency