ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
state hospital
(NOW: vital records electronic system fund)
Appropriates 40 percent of monies collected from vital records fees to the Department of Health Services (DHS) to cover the costs of a vital records automation system.
The office of vital records (OVR) in DHS is responsible for issuing certified copies of vital records, including birth and death certificates for events that occurred in Arizona. Pima and Maricopa counties are authorized to sell these certificates for events occurring within those counties, but certificates for all other counties must be obtained directly from the OVR. According to DHS, the OVR currently uses an electronic system for birth certificates; however, this system is no longer technologically up-to-date and is difficult to maintain. The death certificate system consists of paper certificates, which requires filing space and cannot be integrated with the birth certificate system.
DHS wishes to update and streamline the OVR’s filing system through the purchase of a new internet-based system that would consolidate the birth and death certificate files and allow counties to directly input certificate information. According to the OVR, the internet-based system would facilitate corrections to certificates, ensure compliance with federal information requirements, reduce errors and save labor, time and storage space. To achieve this, DHS intends to raise vital records fees and use the resulting monies to purchase and maintain the automated, electronic system. The strike-everything amendment to S.B. 1145 appropriates 40 percent of monies collected from vital records fees to the vital records electronic systems fund for DHS to use to cover costs associated with the vital records automation system.
According to DHS, the cost of the new equipment is $1 million with ongoing maintenance costs of at least $100,000 per year.
1. Requires the state registrar to deposit 40 percent of monies collected from fees for vital records in the vital records electronic systems fund and 60 percent of these fees in the state general fund.
2. Establishes the vital records electronic systems fund (fund).
3. Requires DHS to administer the fund and use monies in the fund for vital records automation system costs.
4. Specifies fund monies are continuously appropriated, nonreverting and nonlapsing.
5. Requires the Treasurer to invest and divest fund monies.
6. Specifies monies earned from investment are credited to the fund.
7. Requires DHS to submit an expenditure plan to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) after the purchase of the automation system technology is approved by the Government Information Technology Agency and before February 1, 2004.
8. Exempts DHS from the rule making requirements for one year.
9. Repeals the allocation of vital records fees to DHS and the corresponding fund on June 30, 2006.
10. Makes technical changes.
11. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
· The strike everything amendment was adopted.
· The strike everything amendment was adopted.
1. Requires DHS to submit an expenditure plan to JLBC.
2. Repeals the allocation of vital records fees to DHS and the corresponding fund on June 30, 2006.
3. Makes conforming changes.
Senate Action House Action
HEA 3/12/02 DPA/SE 5-0-3-0 HEA 4/01/02 DP 7-0-0-3
3rd Read 3/21/02 29-0-1 APPROP 4/09/02 DP 11-0-0-5
Final Read 4/30/02 27-0-3 3rd Read 4/25/02 45-9-6-0
Signed by the Governor 5/6/02
Chapter 160
Prepared by Senate Staff
May 15, 2002