COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.:0185H.01I Bill No.:HB 124 Subject:Civil Procedure; Courts Type:Original Date:March 25, 2025Bill Summary:This proposal repeals the expiration date of funding of basic civil legal
services for certain persons.
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUNDFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Total Estimated Net
Effect on General
Revenue $0$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON OTHER STATE FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Basic Civil Legal
Services Fund*($424,221)($848,441)($848,441)
Total Estimated Net
Effect on Other State
Funds ($424,221)($848,441)($848,441)
*Oversight notes the Basic Civil Legal Services Fund provisions in §477.650 are currently set to
expire December 31, 2025 (FY 2026). Oversight has reflected the average fee collection into the
fund and the average expenditures out of the fund (a net negative). Oversight notes this is a
continuation of current fund activity.
Numbers within parentheses: () indicate costs or losses. L.R. No. 0185H.01I
Bill No. HB 124
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ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Total Estimated Net
Effect on All Federal
Funds $0$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE)FUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Basic Civil Legal
Services Fund*2 FTE2 FTE2 FTE
Total Estimated Net
Effect on FTE2 FTE2 FTE2 FTE
*Oversight notes the Office of the State Courts Administrator notes the Basic Civil Legal
Services Fund currently funds two (2) FTE. Oversight assumes the proposal (removing the
expiration date) continues to fund the two OSCA employees.
☒ Estimated Net Effect (expenditures or reduced revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any
of the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
☐ Estimated Net Effect (savings or increased revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any of
the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Local Government$0$0$0 L.R. No. 0185H.01I
Bill No. HB 124
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FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
§477.650 – Basic Civil Legal Services Fund
Officials from the Office of the State Courts Administrator (OSCA) assume this proposal
would repeal the expiration date of the Basic Civil Legal Services Fund. The Basic Civil Legal
Services Fund annual appropriations are approximately $5.1 million and 2 FTE.
Oversight notes the Basic Civil Legal Services Fund (BCLS) is a statutorily created fund
(SB 447 in 2003) and was created to fund the work of Missouri’s four Legal Aid programs,
which provide access to the civil justice system to low-income Missourians (who live at or below
125% of the Federal Poverty Level) to protect their fundamental legal rights. The fund is set to
expire December 31, 2025.
One of the focuses of the Legal Aid programs is to ensure that adults and children have access to
medical care through the MoHealthNet system.
Legal Aid staff bring cases to obtain access to medical care for their clients. There are four
regional Legal Aid offices: Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia and Springfield. In FY22, over
$125 million from punitive damages awarded in talc litigation in Missouri was transferred from
the Tort Victims Compensation Fund into the BCLS. This represents the largest single payment
into the BCLS, and this funding was paid to legal service organizations. L.R. No. 0185H.01I
Bill No. HB 124
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Below is a chart of the number of cases closed during CY 2023 representing the BCLS Fund:
The fund has a court filing fee on certain civil and criminal actions of $20 in the Missouri
Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, $10 in the circuit courts and $8 in the associate circuit
courts. The fund has received the following receipts during FY 2020 to FY 2024:
Basic Civil Legal Services Fund (0757)FY 20$ 4,290,667FY 21$ 3,868,347FY 22$ 3,865,619FY 23$ 4,047,390FY 24$ 4,281,742Total$20,353,7655 year avg $ 4,070,753Source: State Treasurer Fund Activity Reports
Below is a history of the expended funds for the last 5 years: L.R. No. 0185H.01I
Bill No. HB 124
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Basic Civil Legal Services Fund (0757) Actual UnexpendedAppropriation Expenditures FundsFY 20 $5,099,958 $4,467,368 $ 632,590FY 21 $7,701,418 $7,559,124 $ 142,294FY 22 $5,102,383 $3,903,651 $1,198,732FY 23 $5,108,764 $3,997,430 $1,111,334FY 24 $5,117,803 $4,668,397 $ 449,406FY 25 $5,127,681 N/A N/ALast 5 yr avg. $5,626,065 $4,919,194 $ 706,871
Source: OSCA Budget Requests Books
Oversight notes the balance of the BCLS (0757) at December 31, 2024 was $264,070.
Oversight notes this proposal removes the expiration date of these provisions. If the proposal is
extended, Oversight assumes revenue and expenditure activity will continue for the fund. Since
the fund does not expire until December 31, 2025, Oversight assumes only half of the average
receipts and expenditures would be shown for FY26. Therefore, Oversight will use the average
amounts from the table above to reflect the fiscal impact.
The appropriations for the BCLS Fund includes 2 FTEs according to OSCA. Oversight assumes
should this proposal be extended, the 2 FTEs will also continue to be funded through the BCLS
Fund.
Officials from the Office of Attorney General (AGO)
arising from this proposal can be absorbed with existing personnel and resources. However, the
AGO may seek additional appropriations if there is a significant increase in litigation.
Oversight does not have any information to the contrary. Therefore, Oversight assumes the
AGO will be able to perform any additional duties required by this proposal with current staff
and resources and will reflect no fiscal impact to the AGO for fiscal note purposes.
Officials from the Office of the State Public Defender assume the proposal will have no fiscal
impact on their organization. Oversight does not have any information to the contrary.
Therefore, Oversight will reflect a zero impact in the fiscal note for this agency. L.R. No. 0185H.01I
Bill No. HB 124
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In response to similar legislation from the prior year (HB 1838), officials from the Missouri
Office of Prosecution Services assumed the proposal would have no fiscal impact on their
organization.
Oversight notes the balance of the BCLS (0757) at December 31, 2024 was $264,070.
FISCAL IMPACT – State GovernmentFY 2026FY 2027
(6 Mo.)
FY 2028BASIC CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES
FUND (0757)
Revenue – OSCA – continuation of
receipts received from court fee
(§477.650) p.4$2,035,376$4,070,753$4,070,753
Cost – OSCA – continuation of
expenditures (§477.650) p.5($2,459,597)($4,919,194)($4,919,194)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
THE BASIC CIVIL LEGAL
SERVICES FUND($424,221)($848,441)($848,441)
Estimated Net FTE Change for the
Basic Civil Legal Services Fund2 FTE2 FTE2 FTE
FISCAL IMPACT – Local GovernmentFY 2026FY 2027
(6 Mo.)
FY 2028$0$0$0
FISCAL IMPACT – Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal. L.R. No. 0185H.01I
Bill No. HB 124
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FISCAL DESCRIPTION
Currently, the "Basic Civil Legal Services Fund" is set to expire on December 31, 2025. This bill
repeals that expiration date. It also corrects an incorrect reference to a provision in the Missouri
Constitution.
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 Courts Administrator
Attorney General’s Office
Missouri Office of Prosecution Services
Office of the State Public Defender
Julie MorffJessica HarrisDirectorAssistant DirectorMarch 25, 2025March 25, 2025