Honorable Stephanie Klick, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2676 by Bonnen (Relating to the creation and optional filing of a record of life for an unborn child and the use of a certificate of stillbirth; authorizing fees.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB2676, As Introduced : a negative impact of ($900,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2023.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2022
($900,000)
2023
$0
2024
$0
2025
$0
2026
$0
All Funds, Five-Year Impact:
Fiscal Year
Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1
2022
($900,000)
2023
$0
2024
$0
2025
$0
2026
$0
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would authorize parents to request a life certificate for an unborn child and would require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to prescribe the form and content of the life certificate and the documentation necessary to prepare the certificate.
The bill would require local registrars to collect, record, preserve, search for, issue copies of, and assess copy fees for a life certificate in the same manner as provided for birth certificates and in accordance with DSHS rules.
Methodology
The analysis assumes DSHS would be required to make modifications to the Texas Electronic Vital Events Registrar (TxEVER) to create a new module for life certificates and modify the fee and issuance module to support local registrars in recording, issuing copies of, and assessing fees for the certificates. According to DSHS, the estimated cost to modify TxEVER would be a one-time cost of $900,000 in fiscal year 2022.
Technology
The analysis includes one-time technology costs of $900,000 in fiscal year 2022 to modify TxEVER to allow local registrars to issue life certificates.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. The bill would allow local registrars to assess copy fees for life certificates, so it is assumed that any increased costs would be offset by additional revenue.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 529 Hlth & Human Svcs Comm, 537 State Health Services