COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

OVERSIGHT DIVISION

FISCAL NOTE

L.R. No.:         3426-01

Bill No.:          HB 1352

Subject:           Crimes and Punishment; Higher Education Department; Housing

Type:              Original

Date:               January 11, 2008

Bill Summary:            This proposal requires public institutions of higher education to check the sex offender registry prior to making student housing assignments.

FISCAL SUMMARY

Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.

This fiscal note contains 4 pages.

☐

  Estimated Total Net Effect on All funds expected to exceed $100,000 savings or (cost).

☐ Estimated Net Effect on General Revenue Fund expected to exceed $100,000 (cost).

FISCAL ANALYSIS

ASSUMPTION

Officials at the Department of Higher Education, East Central College, Metropolitan Community College, Lincoln University, Truman State University, Linn State Technical College and the Missouri Highway Patrol assume that there is no fiscal impact from this proposal to their respective institutions.

Officials at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) assume no new costs if a web-based search would satisfy requirement which UCM already does at a cost of about $224 per year. UCM typically processes 2,500 housing applications annually. The University would need to revamp its current application form - the current estimate we have for performing background checks is $50 per applicant. Collective cost would total approximately $125,000. It is suggested that this cost be passed along to student applicants. Our concern is that if students are charged with this fee to initiate a housing application, the $50 cost coupled with the admissions application fee requirement would be financially prohibitive for many students' families, which could cause them to go elsewhere for housing and negatively impact housing revenue.

Officials at the University of Missouri assume they would incur some additional costs to hire temporary staff to fulfill the requirements of this proposal.

Officials at the Missouri State University assume a cost of $4,000 per year.

Oversight assumes that any costs to the Colleges and Universities to change the student housing application can be absorbed with existing resources. Additionally, Oversight assumes that since this proposal allows the Colleges and Universities to collect a fee to cover the cost of performing the check that there would be no cost to state funds from this proposal.

FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business

No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.

FISCAL DESCRIPTION

The proposed legislation appears to have no fiscal impact.

This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Department of Higher Education

East Central College

Metropolitan Community College

Linn State Technical College

University of Central Missouri

Lincoln University

Missouri State University

University of Missouri

Truman State University

Missouri Highway Patrol

                                                                                                Mickey Wilson, CPA

                                                                                                Director

                                                                                                January 11, 2008