Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB4429 by Blanco (Relating to the inclusion of mental health first aid training in the mental health program for veterans.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB4429, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($2,269,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2020
($1,274,500)
2021
($994,500)
2022
($994,500)
2023
($994,500)
2024
($994,500)
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2020
($1,274,500)
2021
($994,500)
2022
($994,500)
2023
($994,500)
2024
($994,500)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would amend Chapter 434 of the Government Code to require the Veterans Commission to contract with local mental health authorities to provide mental health first aid training to veterans and their immediate family members. The bill would amend Chapter 1001 of the Health and Safety Code to add new services to the Mental Health for Veterans Program, and require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to include in its annual report the number of veterans and their immediate family members that received mental health first aid training. The bill would take effect September 1, 2019.
Methodology
The Mental Health for Veterans Program provided 198,903 program services to individuals in fiscal year 2018, including peer-to-peer services and counseling. This analysis assumes that 5 percent of those services provided through the Mental Health for Veterans Program would include mental health first aid training per fiscal year, at a cost of $100 per individual receiving training. This analysis also assumes that 140 instructors would enroll in a mental health trainer certification class to receive veteran-specific training, at a cost of $2,000 per class. Costs related to instructor trainings are assumed to be one-time costs in fiscal year 2020. The overall cost could be more or less depending on the number of individuals and instructors receiving mental health first aid training.
HHSC currently contracts with 39 local mental health and behavioral health authorities to reimburse mental health first aid training provided to certain university and school district employees. This analysis assumes the Veterans Commission would transfer funding to HHSC in order to reimburse the local mental health and behavioral health authorities for training provided to veterans and their immediate family members.
Local Government Impact
According to the Texas Association of Counties and Texas Municipal League, no significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
403 Veterans Commission, 529 Health and Human Services Commission