Honorable Donna Campbell, Chair, Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1963 by Hinojosa (Relating to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's authority to contract with federal agencies to provide healthcare to veterans.), As Introduced
Because the provisions of a contract between the medical school at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Department of Veterans Affairs is unknown, the fiscal impact cannot be determined at this time.
This bill would amend the Education Code to allow the medical school at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) to contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide medical and mental health treatment to residents eligible for the VA's health care assistance. Provisions of the bill would encourage the medical school to contribute money, property, and other resources to establish and operate a veteran's hospital or to provide medical and mental health care to veterans. Provisions of the bill would allow the medical school to prioritize medical and mental health services for veterans with certain limited access to care.
Based on information provided by The University of Texas (UT) System Administration, future contracts between the medical school and the VA relating to the provision of medical and mental health care to veterans cannot be estimated due to the medical school currently being established and accredited.
It is assumed that a contract with the VA could be structured so revenue could cover any costs incurred for the medical school, but it is possible the medical school could see an additional fiscal impact depending on the terms of the contract. Actual costs related to this bill would depend on the provisions of the contract between the medical school and the VA. Due to a lack of information about provisions of a contract, the fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
403 Veterans Commission, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board