LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 85TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 19, 2017

TO:	Honorable John Kuempel, Chair, House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1055 by Burkett (Relating to a limitation on the amount of certain licensing fees charged by state agencies.), As Introduced

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time as it is unknown how the limitation in the bill would impact licensing agencies' administration of related programs and associated costs.

The bill would prohibit agencies that issue professional licenses from increasing licensing fees above the amount established as of January 1, 2017. Many licensing agencies are required by current law to set license fees at a level to offset the appropriations made to the agency for costs incurred to operate and regulate the state's licensed professions. The fiscal impact of the bill cannot be determined due to the unpredictability of several factors such as the variable number of licenses issued or the changes in costs incurred by agencies associated with operating and regulating the state's licensed professions. To the extent the bill would prohibit an agency from generating the amount of revenue assumed in the General Appropriations Act, there could be a commensurate cost to General Revenue.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 312 Securities Board, 362 Texas Lottery Commission, 405 Department of Public Safety, 452 Department of Licensing and Regulation, 454 Department of Insurance, 456 Board of Plumbing Examiners, 481 Board of Professional Geoscientists, 503 Texas Medical Board, 508 Board of Chiropractic Examiners, 513 Funeral Service Commission, 514 Optometry Board, 515 Board of Pharmacy, 520 Board of Examiners of Psychologists, 533 Executive Council of Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy Examiners, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 551 Department of Agriculture, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality

LBB Staff:

UP, CL, JJ, JLE, JQ, LCO