LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 87TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 18, 2021

TO:	Honorable Stephanie Klick, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2797 by Dean (Relating to prices charged by freestanding emergency medical care facilities during a declared state of disaster; providing administrative penalties.), As Introduced

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined at this time because it is unknown how many freestanding emergency medical centers (FEMCs) would violate the provisions of the bill.

The bill would require an FEMC that provides testing or vaccination for an infectious disease based on a state of disaster to disclose the price of facility charges for the test or vaccine verbally and on the facility's website.

The bill would limit the amount an FEMC could charge for a product or service during a state of disaster. The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) would be required to impose an administrative penalty for a facility's first two violations of these provisions, suspend a license for 30 days after the second violation, and permanently revoke a license after the third violation.

According to HHSC, additional financial resources may be needed in order for the commission to enforce the provisions of the bill, but the cost cannot be determined at this time because it is unknown how many FEMCs would violate the provisions of the bill.

HHSC indicates it could absorb the costs related to rulemaking associated with the bill within current resources.

The amount of revenue generated from administrative penalties cannot be determined at this time because it is unknown how many FEMCs would violate the provisions of the bill.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 529 Hlth & Human Svcs Comm

LBB Staff:

JMc, AKI, JLI, RD, SZ