Honorable Jeff Leach, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2301 by Campos (relating to searches of the state registry of paternity.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2301, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($2,272,847) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.
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
2026
($2,272,847)
2027
$0
2028
$0
2029
$0
2030
$0
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2026
($2,272,847)
2027
$0
2028
$0
2029
$0
2030
$0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to furnish a certificate of the results of a search of the paternity registry no later than the 10th day after the date of the receipt of a request by an individual, a court, or agency.
Methodology
According to DSHS, the agency would request for paternity registry inquiries to be made online to meet the 10-day timeline requirement in the bill to ensure minimization of delays due to mail and manual processes. DSHS would work with the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registrar (TxEVER) vendor to build a system module that would allow the Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) to search the paternity registry directly in TxEVER as an online service. DFPS does not pay a fee for paternity registry inquiries, which the agency currently requests by mail. DSHS estimates that TxEVER module development would cost $325,000 from the General Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2026.
DSHS would communicate and coordinate with DFPS on the process of entering a request in TxEVER and printing a certificate of the search results. DFPS manages their own TxEVER user accounts. Communication and coordination can be done with existing resources.
A new service for Texas.gov would be required to allow other qualified applicants, outside DFPS, to request a paternity registry search and for a certificate of search results to be provided in real time and allow for fee collection. DSHS would use the existing Department of Information Resources' (DIR) Technology Solution Services mechanism for contracting development for the Texas.gov platform. DSHS estimates that Texas.gov development would cost $1,600,000 from the General Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2026.
DSHS has indicated additional Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Information Technology (IT) Staff Augmentation services needs for implementation of Texas.gov modifications including Project Manager III services. This analysis includes a cost $216,360 from the General Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2026 for additional Project Manager III services.
DSHS would work with DIR and its Texas.gov vendor to add paternity registry inquiry as an online service for other qualified applicants outside DFPS. Qualified applicants pay a fee for paternity registry inquiries, which they currently request by mail. There would not be an increase in applications or impact to revenue as a result of this bill.
DSHS estimates IT Informational Staff costs of $61,250 from the General Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2026 to implement the bill.
This analysis assumes a contingency amount of $70,237 from the General Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2026.
According to the HHSC and DFPS, any costs incurred by the agencies can be absorbed within existing resources.
Technology
Technology costs outlined above include TxEVER module development, Texas.gov modifications and development, HHSC IT Staff Augmentation, IT Informational Staff, and contingency funding.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
313 Department of Information Resources, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of, 537 State Health Services, Department of