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LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 87TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
March 30, 2021
TO:
Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB969 by Kolkhorst (Relating to reporting procedures for and information concerning public health disasters and to certain public health studies; creating the office of the chief state epidemiologist; providing a civil penalty.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB969, As Introduced : a negative impact of ($1,332,372) through the biennium ending August 31, 2023.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2022
($1,332,372)
2023
$0
2024
$0
2025
$0
2026
$0
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2022
($1,332,372)
2023
$0
2024
$0
2025
$0
2026
$0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to publish health data on its website and establish a standardized information sharing method during public health disasters and communicable disease outbreaks. It would require hospitals and laboratories to meet certain reporting standards and establish a civil penalty for healthcare facilities that fail to submit required reports. The bill would require DSHS to establish an Office of Chief State Epidemiologist to provide public health expertise. The bill would require DSHS to evaluate the planning and response capabilities of the state health care system; to evaluate the current scope, size, function, and public health response capabilities of public health regions and regional offices; and to analyze and improve data collection and reporting in coordination with various stakeholders by December 1, 2021.
Methodology
According to DSHS, the agency would engage with the Department of Information Resources' (DIR) Technology Solutions Services vendor to determine how data would be received, de-identified, stored, and disseminated as required by the bill at a cost of $1,304,724 in fiscal year 2022.
DSHS also indicated the agency would have $27,648 in costs related to travel for staff to visit the eight public health regions in order to complete the required study.
The analysis assumes the remaining provisions of the bill relating to the establishment of the Office of Chief State Epidemiologist and evaluation and planning requirements at DSHS could be absorbed within existing resources.
Technology
The analysis assumes technology costs would include $1,304,724 in fiscal year 2022 for DSHS to engage with DIR's Technology Solutions Services vendor to improve data collection and dissemination.
Local Government Impact
Bexar County does not anticipate a fiscal impact. Harris County does not anticipate a significant fiscal impact. The fiscal impact to other units of local government is not anticipated to be significant.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Admin, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 529 Hlth & Human Svcs Comm, 537 State Health Services, 720 UT Sys Admin, 768 Texas Tech Univ Sys Admin