COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH

OVERSIGHT DIVISION

FISCAL NOTE

L.R. No.:         3653-01

Bill No.:          HB 1458

Subject:           Metropolitan Areas: Law Enforcement Grants

Type:              Original

Date:               March 6, 2008

Bill Summary:            Establishes the Reverend Nathaniel Cole Pursuit Reduction Grant to provide grants to urban police departments for the purchase of real-time pursuit management systems.

FISCAL SUMMARY

Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.

This fiscal note contains 7 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 of the Office of the State Treasurer assume that if wording of this proposal is not changed they would require 1 FTE, Accounting Specialist I - at an annual salary of $39,126 plus $16,914 in fringe benefits, to monitor all disbursements of this fund. If a wording change is made there would be no request for new FTE.

Oversight has, for fiscal note purposes only, changed the starting salary for an Account Specialist I to correspond to the second step above minimum for comparable positions in the state’s merit system pay grid. This decision reflects a study of actual starting salaries for new state employees and policy of the Oversight Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Legislative Research. Oversight assumes the starting salary would be $33,636, and for 10 months of FY 2009 the salary adjusted would be $28,030 and fringe benefits would equal $12,395. The salary in 2010 would be $34,645; and in 2011 the salary would be $35,684 both years plus fringe benefit costs. No request was made for equipment or expense.

Officials of the Office of the Secretary of State - Rulemaking stated that many bills considered by the General Assembly include provisions allowing or requiring agencies to submit rules and regulations to implement the act. The Secretary of State’s office is provided with core funding to handle a certain amount of normal activity resulting from each year’s legislative session. The fiscal impact for this fiscal note to Secretary of State’s office for Administrative Rules is less than $2,500. The Secretary of State’s office recognizes that this is a small amount and does not expect that additional funding would be required to meet these costs. However, we also recognize that many such bills may be passed by the General Assembly in a given year and that collectively the costs may be in excess of what our office can sustain with our core budget. Therefore, we reserve the right to request funding for the cost of supporting administrative rules requirements should the need arise based on a review of the finally approved bills signed by the governor.

Oversight assumes the SOS could absorb the costs of printing and distributing regulations related to this proposal. If multiple bills pass which require the printing and distribution of regulations at substantial costs, the SOS could request funding through the appropriation process. Any decisions to raise fees to defray costs would likely be made in subsequent fiscal years.

Officials of the Department of Public Safety assume no fiscal impact.

ASSUMPTION (continued)

Oversight for purposes of this fiscal note assumes there would be an annual appropriation from the General Assembly; however, the amount is unknown. Oversight will show a transfer of funds from the General Revenue Fund to the Reverend Nathaniel Cole Pursuit Reduction Grant Fund as Unknown.

Oversight assumes that the annual fund balance to the Reverend Nathaniel Cole Pursuit Reduction Grant Fund would be either zero, if all monies were spent, or a positive unknown. Monies remaining in the fund at the end of the biennium would not revert to the credit of the General Revenue Fund.

Officials of St. Louis County assume no fiscal impact.

* Oversight assumes that local governments would be required to put up a match of 50% to receive the state grant monies. The decision by qualifying local governments to enter into the state grant program would be discretionary.

* Oversight assumes that local governments would be required to put up a match of 50% to receive the state grant monies. The decision to enter into the state grant program would be discretionary.

FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business

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

FISCAL DESCRIPTION

This bill creates the Reverend Nathaniel Cole Memorial Pursuit Reduction Grant in the state treasury to be administered by the Director of the Department of Public Safety. Any money appropriated or donated to the fund will be used to provide grants, in the amount of a 50% match, to urban law enforcement agency which purchase real-time tagging and tracking pursuit management systems. The law enforcement agency must be in an area with a population of at least four hundred thousand inhabitants.

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

Office of the State Treasurer

Office of the Secretary of State - Rules

Department of Public Safety

St. Louis County Executive

NOT RESPONDING

City of Kansas City

Jackson County Executive

St. Louis City

                                                                                                Mickey Wilson, CPA

                                                                                                Director

                                                                                                March 6, 2008