LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 88TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 16, 2023

TO:
Honorable Senfronia Thompson, Chair, House Committee on Youth Health & Safety, Select
 
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB2481 by Garcia (relating to a counseling and crisis management program for relative or other designated caregivers and children in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined due to the inability to determine how many families would utilize the program.

The bill would direct the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to facilitate access to a counseling and crisis management program to provide mental and behavioral telehealth services and mobile mental and behavioral health intervention services to relative or other designated caregivers and children in the managing conservatorship of the department who are placed with relative or other designated caregivers.

The bill would also direct DFPS to the extent possible, to seek reimbursement from the medical assistance program under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, or a health plan that provides health coverage for services.

It is assumed under the state's conservatorship, all children in the relative and other designated caregiver program would qualify for STAR Health therefore any families in STAR Health would be eligible for reimbursement. 

It is assumed that DFPS would require resources to implement the program, modify IT systems and contract with providers but this analysis cannot determine the fiscal impact due to inability to determine the number families that would utilize the program as well as general costs to implement the program.

It is assumed that there will be additional clients to Medicaid but that the increase would not be significant. 

It is assumed that any costs to the Health and Human Services Commission could be absorbed within existing resources. 

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.


Source Agencies:
529 Health and Human Services Commission, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of
LBB Staff:
JMc, NPe, ER, AN