COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
LR No.: 1409-01
Bill No.: Perfected SB 425
Subject: Coroners: Investigations, Procedures
Type: Original
Date: April 1, 2003
FISCAL SUMMARY
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2004 | FY 2005 | FY 2006 |
| General Revenue | (Minimal) | (Minimal) | (Minimal) |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on General Revenue Fund |
(Minimal) | (Minimal) | (Minimal) |
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2004 | FY 2005 | FY 2006 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on Other State Funds |
$0 | $0 | $0 |
Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.
This fiscal note contains 5 pages.
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2004 | FY 2005 | FY 2006 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All Federal Funds |
$0 | $0 | $0 |
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2004 | FY 2005 | FY 2006 |
| Local Government | Minimal | Minimal | Minimal |
ASSUMPTION
Officials of the Office of the Attorney General assume no fiscal impact.
Officials of the Department of Health assume no fiscal impact.
Officials of the Department of Social Services assumes this proposal could have minimal fiscal impact from cases that meet the Child Fatality Review Team criteria. The State could realize some new cost for child autopsies. Officials assume that the State could possibly be required to pay for cost of autopsy on individuals living outside of St. Louis City, Kansas City, and St. Louis County. Officials assume there could be an equal amount of savings to those political subdivisions.
Officials of the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's Office assume this proposal has the potential for huge fiscal repercussions. Officials stated the main costs will be the section which includes sending the cases back to the originating county for autopsy and investigation. Officials assume the State will have to bear the costs of autopsies on children which are now included in the budgets of the City of Kansas City, St. Louis, and St. Louis County. In addition officials assume there would be increased costs to Coroner counties for autopsies on other cases which are now done by those metropolitan counties. Officials stated there are currently a sizable number of
ASSUMPTION (continued)
people who die in the metropolitan areas which are handled by the Medical Examiner's Office and under this proposal would be sent back into Coroner counties. did not estimate costs.
Officials of the City of St. Joseph assume there could be significant costs if the city has to pay for autopsies ordered by the Medical Examiner.
The Greene County Medical Examiner assumes this proposal would have no fiscal impact.
Officials of the City of Springfield assume no fiscal impact.
Oversight assumes there would be a transfer of liability for the costs of conducting an autopsy when a person has been transferred from one county or state to another county. Oversight assumes that the county where the individual was transferred from would be responsible for the cost and investigation, and not the county where the individual is determined to be dead. Because the same amount of cost of conducting the autopsy by one county would be paid by the transferring county there would be no net fiscal impact to local governments.
| FISCAL IMPACT - State Government | FY 2004
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2005 | FY 2006 |
| GENERAL REVENUE FUND | |||
| Cost to Department of Social Services | |||
| autopsy costs | (Minimal) | (Minimal) | (Minimal) |
| FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government | FY 2004
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2005 | FY 2006 |
| CERTAIN COUNTY and CITIES | |||
| Savings to Certain Cities and County | |||
| costs of conducting autopsies | Minimal | Minimal | Minimal |
FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.
DESCRIPTION
This act modifies how the place of death of an individual is determined. An individual who is being transferred into this state from another or from one county within this state to another, for emergency medical treatment and who dies in transit or while in the emergency room, the place of death shall be that of where the individual was first removed.
The Coroner or Medical Examiner from the transferring county is responsible for the death certificate and investigating the cause and manner of death. However, a Coroner or Medical Examiner in the county where the individual actually dies may upon authorization of the Coroner or Medical Examiner of the transferring county, investigate and conduct postmortem examinations at the expense of the transferring county.
The Coroner, Medical Examiner or emergency room staff of the county where the individual actually dies must immediately notify the proper authorities of the transferring county, and shall make available information necessary to conduct a death investigation.
If an individual who has been transferred across state or county lines seeking medical treatment dies after being admitted as a patient to a medical facility, the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the individual actually dies or the medical facility must notify the proper authorities of the transferring county of the death.
In the case of death by homicide, suicide, accident, child fatality or any unusual or suspicious manner the investigation of the cause and manner of death shall revert to the county of origin.
Except as provided elsewhere in this act, following the death of an individual, if the body is transferred to another county or state for the purpose of burial, the transferring county is responsible for the death certificate and death investigation.
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 Attorney General
Department of Health
Department of Social Services
St. Louis County Medical Examiner
Greene County Medical Examiner
City of St Joseph
City of Springfield
NOT RESPONDING
City of St. Louis
Kansas City Manager
City of Columbia
City of St. Charles
City of Fulton
Jackson County Medical Examiner
Boone County Medical Examiner
Clay County Sheriff
Johnson County Sheriff
Mickey Wilson, CPA
Director
April 1, 2003