Honorable Richard Peña Raymond, Chair, House Committee on Human Services
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1852 by Naishtat (Relating to certain assessments for children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB1852, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($564,905) through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.
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
2016
($229,788)
2017
($335,117)
2018
($366,954)
2019
($366,954)
2020
($366,954)
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 2015
2016
($229,788)
($27,342)
0.0
2017
($335,117)
($39,875)
3.1
2018
($366,954)
($43,663)
3.1
2019
($366,954)
($43,663)
3.1
2020
($366,954)
($43,663)
3.1
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend the Family Code to require the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to conduct a developmentally appropriate assessment 45 days after a child enters the conservatorship of DFPS. The assessment must include a screening for trauma and interviews with individuals who have knowledge of the child's needs. The bill also requires DFPS to develop guidelines regarding the contents of an assessment report.
Methodology
According to DFPS, children in the conservatorship of DFPS currently have access to a variety of assessments through STARHealth. However, there's no single tool used for each child.
Under the provisions of the bill, DFPS determined that the most developmentally appropriate, comprehensive assessment that would be provided to each child under the conservatorship of DFPS is the child and adolescent needs and strengths (CANS) assessment tool. Based on information provided by DFPS, it was estimated that an additional 3.0 FTEs would be needed for policy development and oversight to be hired in fiscal year 2017. The costs associated with those FTEs would be $374,992 in fiscal year 2017 and $410,617 in fiscal year 2018 and each year after. Those costs include salaries, benefits, other operating expenses, and the costs associated with 0.1 FTEs at the Health and Human Services Commission.
Other costs in fiscal year 2016 include $31,000 for the development of the algorithm; $80,000 for the access to the eCANS system, which will provide the results of the CANS assessment; and $146,130 for training costs.
Total cost would be $257,130 in fiscal year 2016, $374,992 in fiscal year 2017, and $410,617 in fiscal year 2018 and each year thereafter.
The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) indicated that STARHealth clients receive many assessments (an average of 3 per client) and that by streamlining the process to reduce the number of assessments could create savings. The savings could not be estimated.
Technology
Costs of $80,000 in FY2016 is estimated for access to the eCANS system.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
530 Family and Protective Services, Department of, 529 Health and Human Services Commission