Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB4117 by Coleman ( Relating to the provision of telemental health services to prisoners confined in county jails, including the creation of the county jail telemental health fund, and to certain rules and procedures relating to the safety of those prisoners.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
There could be an indeterminate cost to the state to establish a telemental health dedicated fund depending on the amounts provided by certain funding sources.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
The bill would amend the Government Code to require the Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) to adopt rules and procedures related to access to mental health professional in county jails. The bill would also establish a new dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund consisting of appropriations by the legislature, gifts, grants, including federal grants, and other donations. The fund would be appropriated only to TCJS to pay for programs, training, and capital improvements necessary to implement or improve telemental health services in county jails with a capacity of 96 offenders or fewer. The bill would permit TCJS to establish a grant to counties for this purpose. TCJS would be required to adopt the rules and procedures as required by the provisions of the bill by September 1, 2018; county jails would be required to comply by September 1, 2020. The bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
TCJS would require 1.0 additional full-time equivalent (FTE) to administer the grant program and to research and apply for grant funding. The estimated cost of an additional FTE, including salary, benefits, travel, equipment, and consumables, would be $83,782 in fiscal year 2018, $82,682 in fiscal year 2019, and $82,682 in each subsequent fiscal year. TCJS estimates 117 counties would be eligible to participate in the grant program, but cannot determine the number of counties that would apply for grants. The Comptroller of Public Accounts cannot estimate the cost to the state as the amounts provided by the sources cannot be determined.
Local Government Impact
The fiscal impact to some local governments could be significant. According to TCJS, 130 county jails currently do not employ or contract for a mental health professional and rely on the Local Mental Health Authority for crisis services only. County jails with a capacity of 96 beds or less may receive grants to cover the cost of installation of telemental health services, which includes capital equipment, programs, and training. However, these costs may not be realized until after the 2018-19 biennium as the result of the bill's provision of county jail compliance not later than September 1, 2020.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 409 Commission on Jail Standards, 529 Health and Human Services Commission