Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3804 by King, Tracy O. (Relating to the form of death certificates and fetal death certificates.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to modify the form of death certificates and fetal death certificates. The changes would instruct the person filling out the certificates to enter the date of death in “month, day, year” order, spell out the month of death, spell out the name of the deceased using both capital letters and lowercase letters, use parentheses around the abbreviation “aka," and express time of death in 24-hour military time.
A person filling out a death certificate would not be required to use the new format until February 1, 2010.
It is expected that any cost of implementing the bill would be minimal and DSHS could absorb the cost within existing resources. It is expected that all costs relating to implementing the bill would be from the Vital Statistics Account.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives two-thirds vote in both houses; otherwise it would take effect September 1, 2009.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.