Honorable Joan Huffman, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB314 by West (Relating to appointment of a nonparent as managing conservator of a child.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB314, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($644,000) 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
($644,000)
2017
$0
2018
$0
2019
$0
2020
$0
Fiscal Year
Probable (Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2016
($644,000)
2017
$0
2018
$0
2019
$0
2020
$0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend Chapter 153 of the Family Code such that the appointment of a nonparent as managing conservator of a child may not be used as the basis for denying post-adoption benefits if the nonparent subsequently adopts the child and otherwise meets the eligibility criteria. The bill would also establish requirements for courts appointing a nonparent as the managing conservator of a child.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2015.
Methodology
The Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) estimates that costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill would be realized with modifications to its casework system (IMPACT) to track new consumers of post-adoption services, inform post-adoption contractors that the services are authorized through the system, and subsequently reimburse these contractors for the services.
Based on information provided by DFPS, this analysis assumes that 5,040 information technology contractor hours would be necessary to modify the IMPACT system to implement the provisions of the bill for a total cost of $644,000 in General Revenue in fiscal year 2016. To complete the modifications, it is also assumed that DFPS would have to hire 2 application programmers at a rate of $125/hour for 3,840 hours, 1 project manager at a rate of $150/hour for 1,000 hours, and 1 data analyst to document system design at $70/hour for 200 hours.
The DFPS assumes that any cost for post-adoption services provided to the new population of consumers could be absorbed within existing resources.
The Office of Court Administration does not anticipate any significant fiscal impact to the state court system resulting from the bill.
Technology
The bill would require changes to DFPS' casework system (IMPACT) in order to track the new population of post-adoption services consumers and authorize the post-adoption services to be performed by the post-adoption contractor.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of