Honorable Sarah Davis, Chair, House Committee on General Investigating & Ethics
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2523 by Davis, Sarah (Relating to the investigation of fraud, waste, and abuse in certain public benefits programs by the office of inspector general for the Health and Human Services Commission.), As Introduced
Depending upon the amount collected by the Office of Inspector General in certain public benefits program, there would be an indeterminate positive fiscal impact to the state.
The bill would amend the Government Code to expand the investigations conducted by commissioned peace officers employed by the Health and Human Service Commission's (HHSC) Office of Inspector General (IG) to include the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program(TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Currently commissioned peace officers employed by the IG are only authorized to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid.
The bill would take effect immediately upon a two-thirds vote from all members of each house or, is such a vote is not received, on September 1, 2017.
Based on Legislative Budget Board (LBB) analysis of HHSC and the IG, duties and responsibilities associated with allowing the IG to utilize commissioned peace officers to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse in TANF, SNAP, and WIC could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
According to the Comptroller of Public Accounts and the IG, the amount of potential collections that would result from expanding investigations by commissioned peace officers cannot be determined. Based on the LBB analysis, there would be an indeterminate positive impact to the state depending upon the amount collected.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.