LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 4, 2015

TO:
Honorable Charles Schwertner, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
 
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
SB339 by Eltife (Relating to the medical use of low-THC cannabis and the regulation of related organizations and individuals; requiring a dispensing organization to obtain a license to dispense low-THC cannabis and any employee of a dispensing organization to obtain a registration; authorizing fees.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

This bill would amend the Health and Safety and Occupation Codes to establish a legal structure
whereby qualified patients may lawfully be prescribed low-THC cannabis for certain medical
purposes.

The bill would authorize the director of the Department of Public Safety to impose fees sufficient
to cover the cost of implementing the provisions of the bill. The Comptroller has indicated that
neither the number of fee-paying participants nor the fee structure created by the Department of
Public Safety are known. However, the Department of State Health Services has noted that the bill
would be aimed at a narrow group of individuals. As such, it is assumed the bill would result in a
positive, but minimal, revenue impact.

It is assumed any costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed
within existing resources.

Local Government Impact

The bill would stipulate a municipality, county, or other political subdivision may not enact,
adopt, or enforce a rule, ordinance, order, resolution, or other regulation that prohibits the
cultivation, production, dispensing, of possession of low-THC cannabis, as specified in the bill.
Since the Department of State Health Services has noted that the bill would be aimed at a narrow
group of individuals, it is assumed the bill would not have fiscal significance to units of local
government.


Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 405 Department of Public Safety, 537 State Health Services, Department of
LBB Staff:
UP, NB, AI, JAW, KVe