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 and contractors of local mental health authorities and certain educators in mental health first aid, the establishment of the mental health first aid fund, and the liability of certain persons providing assistance to persons experiencing a mental health crisis.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB955, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($5,119,645) 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
($2,363,204)
2015
($2,756,441)
2016
($2,756,441)
2017
($2,756,441)
2018
($2,756,441)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2014
($2,363,204)
2015
($2,756,441)
2016
($2,756,441)
2017
($2,756,441)
2018
($2,756,441)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code and the Education Code as it relates to the training of employees and contractors of local mental health authorities and certain educators in mental health first aid, and the liability of certain persons providing assistance to persons experiencing a mental health crisis.
The bill would allow employees of the Local Mental Health Authorities (LMHA), which includes the local behavioral health authority for the NorthSTAR Behavioral Health Program, to be trained on mental health first aid and to serve as trainers for educators. Under the provisions of the bill, if funds are appropriated, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) shall make grants to an LMHA and NorthSTAR in an amount equal to $1,000 for each employee or contractor of the LMHA or NorthSTAR whose training as mental health first aid trainers will be paid with the grant. The bill allows LMHAs and NorthSTAR to collaborate together and share resources to provide training. Under the provisions of the bill, DSHS shall establish grants not to exceed the lesser of $40,000 or three percent of the funds appropriated for this purpose to be provided to LMHAs and NorthSTAR at a rate of $100 for each educator who successfully completes the training program. The bill requires the LMHAs and NorthSTAR to submit a plan to DSHS for mental health first aid training programs no later than October 1 of each fiscal year. The bill requires the LMHAs and NorthSTAR to provide annually a list of LMHA or NorthSTAR employees trained and a list of educators trained by the LMHA or NorthSTAR. The bill requires DSHS to provide this information in a 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
It is assumed that the cost to provide the grants would be $30,000 per year for each of the 37 LMHAs and Northstar (38 in all). Additionally, it is assumed that DSHS would be required to provide $100 per educator trained, to be limited at $40,000 per year to each of the 37 LMHAs and NorthSTAR to provide training to the educators. It is assumed that the training of the educators will begin during the second quarter of fiscal year 2014. The cost of the grants would be $2,280,000 in fiscal year 2014 and $2,660,000 in fiscal year 2015 and each year thereafter. It is assumed for both training programs that there will be high turnover and a refresher requirement every two or three years, therefore the funding need would be level from fiscal year 2015 through fiscal year 2018. Should actual training costs be less, the cost of implementing the provisions of the bill would be less in each year.
DSHS anticipates the agency cost to administer the grants would require one FTE at a total cost of $83,204 in fiscal year 2014 and $96,441 in fiscal year 2015. The agency can absorb the additional FTE authority within its existing FTE cap.
The bill has no direct fiscal implications for the Foundation School Program (FSP) or the operations of the Texas Education Agency (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