COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.: 2984-01
Bill No.: SB 712
Subject: Office of Administration; Highway Patrol; Law Enforcement Officers and Agencies.
Type: Original
Date: January 7, 2004
FISCAL SUMMARY
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| General Revenue * | $0 to ($900,000) | $0 to ($900,000) | $0 to ($900,000) |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on General Revenue Fund* |
$0 to ($900,000) | $0 to ($900,000) | $0 to ($900,000) |
* Subject to appropriation
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All State Funds |
$0 | $0 | $0 |
Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.
This fiscal note contains 4 pages.
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All Federal Funds |
$0 | $0 | $0 |
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2005 | FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| Local Government | $0 | $0 | $0 |
ASSUMPTION
Officials from the Department of Conservation and the Department of Public Safety - Divisions of State Water Patrol and Fire Safety each state this proposal would have no fiscal impact on their respective agencies
Officials from the Department of Corrections (DOC) did not respond to our request for fiscal impact. However, in response to similar legislation from a previous year, DOC stated this proposal would not fiscally impact their agency since the funding would be provided by the Office of Administration appropriation. DOC employees would, however, receive an overall benefit.
Officials from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) state this act provides a death benefit of $150,000 for the surviving spouse, children, parent or parents of a public safety officer who dies in the line of duty.
DNR's state park rangers have been added to the definition of a public safety officer. DNR has 47 state park rangers and 6 commissioned state park superintendents that would be included in the definition of a public safety officer and therefore eligible for death benefits.
ASSUMPTION (continued)
Since this proposal will not require DNR to pay the insurance premiums that associate with the proposed death benefits, this act will not fiscally impact their agency.
Officials from the Department of Public Safety - Missouri Highway Patrol (MHP) state they assume no fiscal impact from the proposal. The first trooper who died in the line of duty was in 1933. To date, there have been 23 total, 6 of those occurring since 1996. Something like this is impossible to predict, but if the MHP were to take the average of the past 8 years, there has been approximately one trooper per year who died in the line of duty. Based solely on that average, the cost of this legislation would have been approximately $150,000 per year, from General Revenue funds. For purposes of this fiscal note, that would be MHP's estimate for future years as well.
Officials from the Office of Administration (COA) state this proposal will pay a $150,000 death benefit to the survivor of any Public Safety Officer who dies in the line of duty. These payments will be administered by COA. COA assumes that six Public Safety Officers will die in the line of duty each year, based upon the highest number of deaths in one year (six) from statistical data from the last ten years. With this assumption, the proposal would cost $900,000 per year, or $150,000 x 6.
Oversight assumes total death benefits per year would be limited to the appropriation, so would be limited each year by the General Assembly. Oversight will use COA's estimate of 6 public safety officers, resulting in $900,000 per year in benefits, subject to appropriation. Oversight has ranged the fiscal impact from $0 to ($900,000).
| FISCAL IMPACT - State Government | FY 2005
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| GENERAL REVENUE | |||
| Costs - Death benefits to Public Safety Officers * | $0 to
($900,000) |
$0 to
($900,000) |
$0 to
($900,000) |
| ESTIMATED NET EFFECT TO THE GENERAL REVENUE FUND * | $0 TO ($900,000) | $0 TO ($900,000) | $0 TO ($900,000) |
| * Subject to Appropriation | |||
| FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government | FY 2005
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2006 | FY 2007 |
| $0 | $0 | $0 |
FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.
DESCRIPTION
This proposal provides a $150,000 death benefit for public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty. The benefits will be administered by the Office of Administration. Funds for the benefits will come from General Revenue. Should the number of claims exceed appropriations, the claims will be paid on a pro rata basis.
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 Public Safety
Missouri Highway Patrol
State Water Patrol
Fire Safety
Office of Administration
Department of Conservation
Department of Natural Resources
NOT RESPONDING: Department of Corrections
Mickey Wilson, CPA
Director
January 7, 2004