This Fiscal Note is not an official copy and should not be quoted or cited.
This Fiscal Note is not an official copy and should not be quoted or cited.
Fiscal Note - SB 0810 - Animal Welfare
COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. NO. 2978-03
BILL NO. SB 810
SUBJECT: Agriculture and Animals: Animal Welfare
TYPE: Original
DATE: February 9, 1998
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON STATE FUNDS Net Effect on All State Funds
FUND AFFECTED
FY 1999
FY 2000
FY 2001 Animal Care Reserve
Fund
($50,282)
$74,643
$63,924
Total Estimated
($50,282)
$74,643
$63,924
|
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDS | |||
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 1999 | FY 2000 | FY 2001 |
| None | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 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 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses
This fiscal note contains 4 pages.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials from the State Courts Administrator assume this proposal may cause some small increase in caseloads for the courts, but do not expect the costs to be significant.
Officials from the Department of Economic Development, Division of Professional Registration, Department of Health and the Attorney General's Office assume this proposal would not fiscally impact their agencies.
The Secretary of State's Office assume this proposal will require as many as 10 new pages in the Code of State Regulations and the Missouri Register at an estimated total cost of $605 in FY 1999. Oversight assumes these costs can be absorbed in current appropriations and therefore the fiscal impact is zero.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture (AGR) estimate there are 3,250 additional persons/facilities that would have to be licensed and inspected under the Animal Care Facilities Law. Revenues would be generated for the Animal Care Reserve Fund as follows: 3,250 additional facilities to be licensed at $150 each. Total income would be $487,500 annually.
AGR officials assume this proposal would require 17.5 additional FTE to fulfill the requirements of the legislation (15.5 Animal Health Officers and 2 Clerk Typist II). The Animal Health Officers would travel to various animal care facilities throughout the state performing inspections. Current Animal Care Program history has confirmed that it takes a minimum of 2 inspections to bring a facility into initial license compliance. This would result between 6,500 to 6,940 additional/new inspections per year. Program experience has shown that an inspector can perform an average of two facility inspections per day which will require an additional 15.5 Animal Care Inspector FTE's to fulfill the added responsibilities of the law as proposed. The addition of 3,250 persons/facilities to the 1,800 currently licensed will more than double the current workload for current support staff. Therefore, it is estimated that another 2 clerical FTE will have to be retained.
Currently, this program employs five inspectors and two clerical staff to handle the 1,800 licensed facilities, thus averaging 360 facilities per inspector. Given this ratio, Oversight assumes that the addition of 3,250 facilities would require 10 Animal Health Officers over and above the five currently on staff.
| FISCAL IMPACT - State Government | FY 1999 | FY 2000 | FY 2001 |
| (10 Mo.) | |||
| ANIMAL CARE RESERVE FUND | |||
| Income- Department of Agriculture (AGR) | |||
| License fees | $487,500 | $487,500 | $487,500 |
| Costs - Department of Agriculture (AGR) | |||
| Personal Service (12 FTE's) | (211,577) | (260,345) | (266,854) |
| Fringe Benefits | (59,305) | (72,975) | (74,799) |
| Expense and Equipment | (266,900) | (79,537) | (81,923) |
| Total Costs - AGR | ($537,782) | ($412,857) | ($423,576) |
|
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON | |||
| ANIMAL CARE RESERVE FUND | ($50,282) | $74,643 | $63,924 |
| FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government | FY 1999 | FY 2000 | FY 2001 |
| (10 Mo.) | |||
| $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business | |||
Small businesses related to the animal care field (i.e. breeders, veterinarians that offer boarding, bird salespersons, etc) would experience increased costs related to obtaining a license and passing inspections required by this proposal.
DESCRIPTION
This proposal would rework the statutes covering animal care facilities. The existing statutes, sections 273.325 to 273.357, RSMo, are repealed and new statutes are enacted. Any person acting as an animal breeder, animal control dealer, or any person who operates an animal shelter, animal facility, boarding kennel, pet shop or exhibition facility must be licensed by the Director of the Department of Agriculture. Provisions for issuance, renewing, suspension or revocation of any license required by this act are set out in Section 273.332 of the act. All fees collected by the Director of the Department of Agriculture under provisions of this act shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the "Animal Care Reserve Fund". Moneys in the fund shall not be transferred to the General Revenue Fund at the end of the biennium.
DESCRIPTION (Continued)
The act contains provisions covering the sterilization or euthanizing of dogs and cats. This act was developed from a Uniform Dog and Cat Welfare Act.
The proposal would provide for government licensing and regulation of animal care facilities, with civil and criminal penalties.
This legislation in not federally mandated. It would partially duplicate Title 9 - Animal and Animal Products, Chapter 1, Code of Federal Regulations which requires licensing of research facilities and Class A, B, and C dealers. This proposal would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
State Courts Administrator
Department of Economic Development
Division of Professional Registration
Department of Agriculture
Division of Animal Health
Jeanne Jarrett, CPA
Director
February 9, 1998