| TO: | Honorable Harold V. Dutton, Jr., Chair, House Committee on Juvenile Justice & Family Issues |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB726 by Hopson (Relating to prohibiting informal marriage and repealing procedures for recognition of those marriages.), As Introduced |
The bill would prohibit informal marriage and repeal procedures related to those marriages. Included in the removal of procedures would be filing procedures that include collection of fees by a county clerk, a portion of which are sent to the Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA). Also affected would be record-keeping by the bureau of vital statistics.
According to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), which includes the bureau of vital statistics, there were 3,810 declarations of informal marriage in fiscal year 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Revenue lost from the fees associated with a reduction of approximately 3,800 declarations a year would not be significant. Any savings in processing by DSHS and by the CPA would not be significant.
The number of declarations of informal marriage statewide is very little per individual county. Revenue losses and processing savings would not have a signifcant fiscal impact.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
| Source Agencies: | 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 537 State Health Services, Department of
|
| LBB Staff: | JOB, MN, DB
|