Honorable Myra Crownover, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB582 by Kolkhorst (Relating to education and training programs for food handlers; eliminating the authority of a local health jurisdiction to require certain fees.), As Engrossed
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code to permit required education and training programs for certain food handlers to include programs accredited by the American National Standards Institute. The bill would permit the state, a county or a public health district to impose training course requirements in a location regulated by the entity, but prohibit the Department of State Health Services from adopting a similar policy. The bill would specify a worker trained in a course offered by a local health jurisdiction is considered to have met the requirements as to food service performed in that jurisdiction only. The bill would prohibit a local health jurisdiction from charging a fee for a certificate issued to a worker trained by an accredited course.
Local Government Impact
A local health entity would be prohibited from charging a fee for the issuance of a certificate to a food handler trained by an accredited course. The loss in fees would impact the revenue of the entity; the revenue loss of the entity would vary depending on the fee amount for each certificate, the number of applicants for the certificate and the size of the local health jurisdiction. Based on the factors above, the bill could have significant fiscal impact on local governmental entities.
The Texas Association of City and County Health Officials (TACCHO) estimated an average administrative cost of $6-$10 for a food handler certificate per year. TACCHO provided information based on a survey of local health departments who reported the bill would have significant fiscal impact on several local entities.
According to TACCHO, Austin Travis County Health and Human Services Department estimated a loss of $568,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015.
According to TACCHO, Northeast Texas Public Health District reported an estimated loss of $23,115 per year.
According to TACCHO, Grayson County Health Department reported an estimated revenue loss of $66,000 per year.