Honorable Dustin Burrows, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3000 by King (Relating to a grant program to provide financial assistance to qualified ambulance service providers in certain rural counties.), As Passed 2nd House
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB3000, As Passed 2nd House: a negative impact of ($1,042,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.
There would be an additional indeterminate cost to the state dependent on legislative appropriations for the purpose of providing grants.
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
($683,000)
2027
($359,000)
2028
($359,000)
2029
($359,000)
2030
($359,000)
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2025
2026
($683,000)
3.0
2027
($359,000)
3.0
2028
($359,000)
3.0
2029
($359,000)
3.0
2030
($359,000)
3.0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Comptroller to establish and administer the Rural Ambulance Service Grant Program to provide financial assistance to qualified rural ambulance service providers in qualified counties.
The Comptroller could award a grant to a qualified county using money appropriated for that purpose, and in accordance with a written agreement with the county that provides the Comptroller with control to ensure that the county is providing adequate ground ambulance services. Award amounts would not exceed $500,000 for counties with a population less than 10,000, and $350,000 for counties with a population between 10,000 and 68,750. The Comptroller would be required to consider certain economic factors in awarding grants. A county could use a grant award only to purchase ambulances, including accessories and modifications, as provided by Comptroller rule, and before the fifth anniversary of the date the county receives the money. Until an ambulance becomes available, a county could deposit grant funds in an interest bearing account, and treat proceeds as additional grant funds. A county could submit only one application per fiscal year.
Methodology
According to the 2023 U.S Census Annual Estimates of the Residential Population for Counties in Texas, there are 92 counties with populations less than 10,000, and 109 counties with a population between 10,000 and 68,750. If all 201 counties applied and received the amount for which they are eligible, the total grants awarded would be $84,150,000 per fiscal year, or $168,300,000 for the biennium.
This analysis assumes the Comptroller would require three additional full-time equivalent (3.0 FTEs) positions to implement the legislation. The additional FTEs include: 2.0 Program Specialist IV to review applications, disburse funds and review compliance with the grant program, and 1.0 Attorney V to support the program with rulemaking and legal counsel support. The cost for the three FTEs would be $359,000 per fiscal year.
Technology
This analysis assumes the Comptroller would incur a one-time cost of $324,000 in fiscal year 2026 for 2,160 programming hours necessary to develop a new grant system.
Local Government Impact
Depending on levels of appropriations for the program, counties with a population less than 10,000 could have a positive fiscal impact of $500,000 per fiscal year, and counties with a population between 10,000 and 68,750 could have a positive fiscal impact of $350,000 per fiscal year.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 537 State Health Services, Department of