COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.: 4511-05
Bill No.: HCS for SCS for SB 1137
Subject: Vital Statistics; Health Dept.
Type: Original
Date: May 13, 2002
FISCAL SUMMARY
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| MoPHS* | $6,443 | $27,444 | $42,753 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All State Funds |
$6,443 | $27,444 | $42,753 |
*Annual income ($310,670) and annual costs ($283,226) net to amounts shown.
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All Federal Funds |
$0 | $0 | $0 |
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| Local Government | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.
This fiscal note contains 6 pages.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials from the Department of Health and Senior Services stated birth and death records currently generate income of $10 apiece. This fiscal note assumes an increase from $10 to $13. The additional $3 would be deposited into the Missouri Public Health Services (MoPHS) Fund. No costs are reflected to the General Revenue Fund.
Based on 1999 and 2000 birth and death certified and research copies, we estimate income of $307,854 per year from an average of 102,618 records per year multiplied by $3. This legislation would make 90 year old birth records and 50 year old death records available. We estimate that we will have to scan and index over 2,000,000 birth and death records by December 31, 2004. We estimate we will be able to scan approximately 40 pages per minute, and each document will take 10 seconds to index. This comes out to over 6,388 total hours. Based on these calculations we estimate needing one Office Support Assistant (Keyboard) to do these activities. Duties will include document preparation, data organization, scanning, indexing, storage, retrieval of paper files, labeling paper files, reviewing documents for completeness, accuracy, and consistency. The department will be purchasing the web-based software for processing birth and death records. The system will be modified to conform to the state's e-Government standards.
The department will use a document imaging system, which will be purchased next fiscal year for Senior Services applications, for entering and storing images of the vital records documents. However, additional storage for the document imaging system and additional scanners will be needed. Because inflation is built into the lease, we have shown leasing costs static for the three years of this fiscal note. Prior to implementing the web-based system, the department will need to purchase a web-server for Internet access to the birth and death system and a database server to store the birth and death records. A Program Manager (Computer Info Tech Specialist I) will be required starting in Year 2 to design the system, monitor the contractor, plan the implementation, oversee the conversion of data from the existing system, and provide on-going support for the system after implementation. In addition, a Computer Information Technologist III will be needed to maintain and enhance the system once the contractor has turned it over to the state. We anticipate that to be the end of the third year. The excess balance in this fund can carry over to the next year for future expenditures.
Oversight assumes the duties of the proposed legislation could be performed by one Office Support Assistant and a Program Manager/Computer Information Tech Specialist.
Officials from the Office of State Courts Administrator and Department of Revenue assume the proposed legislation will not fiscally impact their organizations.
ASSUMPTION (continued)
Officials from the Office of Administration - Division of Budget and Planning (BAP) stated the proposed legislation should not result in additional costs or savings to the BAP. However, the proposed legislation would increase total state revenue.
Officials from the Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) state this bill allows electronic creation and access to birth and death records. The Department of Health and Senior Services will promulgate rules to implement this bill. Based on experience with other divisions, the rules, regulations and forms issued by the Department of Health and Senior Services could require as many as 40 pages in the Code of State Regulations. For any given rule, roughly one-half again as many pages are published in the Missouri Register as are published in the Code because cost statements, fiscal notes and notices are not published in the Code. The estimated cost of a page in the Missouri Register is $23.00. The estimated cost of a page in the Code of State Regulations is $27.00. The actual costs could be more or less than the numbers given. The fiscal impact of this legislation in future years is unknown and depends upon the frequency and length of rules filed, amended, rescinded and withdrawn. The SOS estimates the cost of this legislation to be $2,460 [(40 pp x $27) + (60 pp x $23)].
Oversight assumes the SOS could absorb the costs of printing and distributing regulations related to this proposal. If multiple bills pass which require the printing and distribution of regulations at substantial costs, the SOS could request funding through the appropriation process. Any decisions to raise fees to defray costs would likely be made in subsequent fiscal years.
The proposed legislation will result in an increase in Total State Revenue.
| FISCAL IMPACT - State Government | FY 2003
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| MISSOURI PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES FUND (MoPHS) | |||
| Income - Department of Health and Senior Services | |||
| Birth and death records income | $307,854 | $310,670 | $324,245 |
| Costs - Department of Health and Senior Services | |||
| Personal Service Costs (2 FTE) | ($16,585) | ($68,837) | ($70,558) |
| Fringe Benefits | ($5,972) | ($24,788) | ($25,408) |
| Equipment and Expense | ($278,854) | ($189,601) | ($185,526) |
| Total Costs - Department of Health and Senior Services |
($301,411) |
($283,226) |
($281,492) |
| NET ESTIMATED EFFECT ON THE MISSOURI PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES FUND |
$6,443 |
$27,444 |
$42,753 |
| FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government | FY 2003
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| $0 | $0 | $0 |
FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.
DESCRIPTION
Pertaining to birth and death records, this proposal:
(1) Specifies that deputies appointed by local registrars can perform some or all of the statutory or regulatory responsibilities of local registrars;
(2) Allows certification of a live birth which occurs at or en route to an institution to be by a signature or electronic process approved by the Department of Health and Senior Services;
(3) Requires a birth certificate issued for a child born as a result of in vitro fertilization to be consistent with Subsection 5 of Section 193.085, RSMo;
(4) Allows persons in charge of the final disposition of a dead body to obtain a medical certification and allows certification by a signature or electronic process approved by the department;
(5) Authorizes the Registrar of Vital Statistics to prepare digital images of vital statistics, certificates, and reports;
(6) Requires that original birth records more than 90 years old and death records more than 50 years old be transferred to the State Archives;
(7) Authorizes the department to disclose upon request, copies of birth records more than 90 years old and death records more than 50 years old. The department is required to make the records and indexes for the records available on the Internet by December 31, 2004;
(8) Increases the fees charged for the issuance of a certification or copy of a vital record from $10 to $13;
(9) Increases the amount credited to specific funds by the Director of the Department of Revenue for each vital record fee collected. The director is required to credit $4 to the General Revenue Fund; $5 (currently $3) to the Children's Trust Fund; and $3 (currently $2) to the Missouri Public Health Services Fund, and $1 to be deposited in the Endowed Care Cemetery Audit Fund;
(10) Requires that moneys in the Missouri Public Health Services Fund be used to place the records and indexes for the records on the Internet, to support the development of an Internet-based birth and death registration system, and to support line costs for local registrars;
(11) Requires the Internet system for birth and death record registration to be implemented by December 31, 2005;
DESCRIPTION (continued)
(12) Increases the fees charged for the issuance of a certification of a birth or death record by a local registrar from $10 to $13;
(13) Allows an application to be made to a probate division for letters of administration upon an estate of a person supposed to be dead because the person was exposed to a specific peril of death due to an actual or suspected terrorist event; and
(14) Specifies that exposure of a person to a specific peril of death may be a sufficient basis for determining that the person died within five years after the date the person's absence commenced.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of Administration - Division of Budget and Planning
Office of State Courts Administrator
Department of Health and Senior Services
Department of Revenue
Office of Secretary of State
Mickey Wilson, CPA
Acting Director
May 13, 2002