SRC-MKV S.B. 1586 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1586
By: Moncrief
Health & Human Services
3/29/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Health information derived from birth and death records is the foundation
of most public health programs.  Vital event registrations are increasingly
being used for both administrative and surveillance activities, as well as
the more traditional role of proof of birth or death.  Timely and accurate
registrations are essential in providing such services.  Vital registration
has remained primarily a paper process since its inception in the early
1900s.  Texas has changed from a rural state with a small population to an
urban state with large, diverse populations.  With the growth in
population, the volume of birth and death records has climbed steadily.
With that increase in volume, the number of requests for services such as
obtaining certified copies, creating new records based upon adoptions or
paternities, and correcting errors in original records have also increased
dramatically.  Compounding the volume problem have been new uses made of
vital statistics.  New systems must be created to handle the volume of
records each year and enhance the capabilities to store and retrieve these
records for meeting citizens' needs in a timely manner.  As proposed, S.B.
1586 increases the fees collected for certified copies of birth and death
certificates and sets up a fund in the state treasury to collect these
funds to help pay for the enhanced needs of the Bureau of Vital Statistics. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 191.0045, Health and Safety Code, by amending
Subsections (d)-(g) and adding Subsections (h) and (i), as follows: 

 (d) Adds a reference to Subsection (h) relating to additional fees
required. 

 (e) Increases from $2 to $4 the amount of an additional fee collected for
certificates. 

(f) Adds language to set forth requirements as to how the fees collected
under Subsection  (e) are to be deposited in the state treasury. 

 (g) Makes a conforming change.

(h) Requires the bureau of vital statistics, in addition to fees collected
by the bureau under Subsections (b) and (e), to collect an additional $1
fee for issuing a certified copy of a death certificate.  Requires the fees
to be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the vital statistics
enhancement fund. 

(i) Provides that the vital statistics enhancement fund is in the state
treasury.  Provides that money in the fund is derived from fees deposited
as required by this section, Section 199.022(f), and Section 118.015(b)
(relating to fees collected by county clerks for birth or death
certificates), Local Government Code, and authorizes it to be used by the
bureau only for  certain tasks. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 191.022(f), Health and Safety Code, to add a
reference to the vital statistics enhancement fund and to add language
requiring a local registrar who collects a fee for a certified copy of a
death certificate to remit $1 of that fee to the comptroller for deposit in
the vital statistics enhancement fund. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 118.015(b), Local Government Code, to increase
from 20 cents to 40 cents the amount deducted from the fee collected for a
certified copy of a birth certificate and to change the amount remitted to
the comptroller from $1.80 to $3.60. Makes a conforming change relating to
county clerks. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.