HBA-JEK H.B. 761 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 761
By: Coleman
Public Health
3/1/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The bureau of vital statistics (bureau) of the Texas Department of Health
records all births, deaths, marriages, and divorces in Texas (vital
records).  The information maintained by the bureau is used to plan and
evaluate public health programs and to identify specific problem areas.
Each year, the bureau registers almost 750,000 documents and the public
requests more than 200,000 searches for documents.  As Texas is the fastest
growing state in the nation, the volume of vital records in the state has
increased.  A more efficient electronic system could better support the
large volume of vital records and search requests. House Bill 761 creates
the vital statistics enhancement fund and raises the fees related to birth
and death certificates. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 761 amends the Health and Safety and Local Government codes to
create the vital statistics enhancement fund to be used for an electronic
reporting system to maintain records.  The bill authorizes the bureau of
vital statistics of the Texas Department of Health to use the fund for
certain systems, developments, improvements, and enhancements of electronic
reporting systems.  The bill increases the fee that the bureau of vital
statistics is required to charge for issuing a certified copy of a
certificate of a birth, issuing a wallet-sized certification of birth, or
conducting a search for a certificate of birth from $2 to $4. The bill
requires one-half of these fees to be deposited to the credit of the work
and family policies fund and the other half to be in the state treasury
deposited to the credit of the vital statistics enhancement fund. H.B. 761
requires the bureau to collect an additional $1 fee for issuing a certified
copy of a death certificate for deposit in the state treasury to the credit
of the vital statistics enhancement fund. 

H.B. 761 requires a local registrar or county clerk who collects a fee for
a certified copy of a birth certificate to remit $3.60 rather than $1.80 to
the comptroller for deposit in the work and family policies and the vital
statistics enhancement funds, and retain 40 cents rather than 20 cents to
apply to the registrar's or clerk's administrative costs.  The bill also
requires a local registrar or county clerk to remit $1 of the fee charged
for a certified copy of a death certificate to the comptroller for deposit
in the vital statistics enhancement fund. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.