SB 0895 - Fiscal Note

Fiscal Note - SB 0895 - Allows free death certificates for family members of veterans

COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

OVERSIGHT DIVISION

FISCAL NOTE

L.R. NO. 2758-01

BILL NO. SB 895

SUBJECT: Allows Free Death Certificates for Families of Veterans

TYPE: Original

DATE: February 20, 1998

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FISCAL SUMMARY

ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON STATE FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED	FY 1999	FY 2000	FY 2001
None
Total Estimated Net Effect on All State Funds	$0	$0	$0

ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED	FY 1999	FY 2000	FY 2001
None
Total Estimated Net Effect on All Federal Funds	$0	$0	$0

ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDS
FUND AFFECTED	FY 1999	FY 2000	FY 2001
Local Government	($155,640)	($186,750)	($186,750)

Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses

This fiscal note contains 3 pages.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

ASSUMPTION

Officials from the Department of Economic Development - Division of Professional Registration, Department of Revenue, and Missouri Veteran's Commission (MVC) assume this proposal will not fiscally impact their agencies.

Officials from the Department of Health (DOH) assume no fiscal impact as this is already a practice of the DOH. The DOH cites Section 42.420 RSMo as the statutory authority to provide free death certificates to families of veterans.

Oversight assumes the proposal would result in decreased revenues to only the local county health departments as the DOH already issues free death certificates to families of deceased veterans. Currently each family of a deceased veteran must pay $10 for each official death certificate. The family member can either receive the official death certificate at the DOH - Bureau of Vital Records (BVR) or from the local county health department. The fee is retained by the local health department if the death certificate is received there. The BVR also indicated that based on their records, half of the death certificate requests are received by the BVR and half by the county health departments. The proposal would allow these families to receive up to three free death certificates.

Based on information provided by the Missouri Veteran's Commission (MVC) from last year, the MVC estimated 12,450 veterans would die in calendar year 1998. Oversight, for the purposes of this fiscal note, will assume 12,500 veterans will die in FY 00 and FY 01. Oversight will prorate the amount of deaths for 10 months for FY 99 to 10,417. Oversight will also calculate the lost revenue from only the local county health department funds as the DOH already issues free death certificates to veteran's families. Oversight assumes that three free death certificates will be provided to veteran's families. We will also assume that half of the official death certificates are filed at the local county health departments. The maximum total loss of revenue to all of the local county health department funds is approximately $186,750 annually.

FISCAL IMPACT - State Government	FY 1999	FY 2000	FY 2001
	(10 Mo.)
	$0	$0	$0
FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government	FY 1999	FY 2000	FY 2001
	(10 Mo.)
ALL LOCAL COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT FUNDS
Loss of Revenue
Providing Free Death Certificates	($155,640)	($186,750)	($186,750)
ESTIMATED EFFECT
ON LOCAL COUNTY
HEALTH DEPARTMENT FUNDS	($155,640)	($186,750)	($186,750)
FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business

No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.

DESCRIPTION

This proposal will allow family members of veterans to receive a free death certificate. The

agency may limit the number of free death certificates to three.

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

Department of Health

Department of Economic Development - Division of Professional Registration

Missouri Veteran's Commission

Department of Revenue

Jeanne Jarrett, CPA

Director

February 20, 1998