COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.:0166H.02I Bill No.:HB 481 Subject:Uniform Laws; Children and Minors; Family Law; Domestic Relations Type:Original Date:April 8, 2025Bill Summary:This proposal modifies and establishes provisions relating to the protection
of children.
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUNDFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028General Revenue*$0 to (Unknown)$0 to (Unknown)$0 to (Unknown)Total Estimated Net
Effect on General
Revenue$0 to (Unknown)$0 to (Unknown)$0 to (Unknown)
*Potential unknown costs for OSCA not expected to exceed $250,000 annually.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON OTHER STATE FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2026FY 2027FY 2028Total Estimated Net
Effect on Other State
Funds $0$0$0
Numbers within parentheses: () indicate costs or losses. L.R. No. 0166H.02I
Bill No. HB 481
Page 2 of
April 8, 2025
HWC:LR:OD
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 2028Total Estimated Net
Effect on FTE 000
☐ 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 to (Unknown)$0 to (Unknown)$0 to (Unknown)
*Potential unknown costs for prosecutors not expected to exceed $250,000 annually. L.R. No. 0166H.02I
Bill No. HB 481
Page 3 of
April 8, 2025
HWC:LR:OD
FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
§§452.705, 452.730, 452.885, 452.1100, 452.1102, 452.1104, 452.1106, 452.1108, 452.1110,
452.1112, 452.1114, 452.1118, 452.1120, 452.1122 & 487.110 – Protection of children and
Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act
Officials from the Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA) state HB 481 may have some
impact but there is no way to quantify that amount currently. Any significant changes will be
reflected in future budget requests.
Oversight notes OSCA assumes this proposal may have some impact on their organization
although it can’t be quantified at this time. As OSCA is unable to provide additional information
regarding the potential impact, Oversight assumes the proposed legislation will have a $0 to
(Unknown) cost to the General Revenue Fund. For fiscal note purposes, Oversight also assumes
the impact will be under $250,000 annually. If this assumption is incorrect, this would alter the
fiscal impact as presented in this fiscal note. If additional information is received, Oversight will
review it to determine if an updated fiscal note should be prepared and seek approval to publish a
new fiscal note.
Officials from the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services (MOPS) assume the proposal will
have no measurable fiscal impact to MOPS. The creation of new duties in §452.1106.3 without
funding will have a negative fiscal impact on local prosecutors’ offices although the cost is
difficult to determine.
Oversight has no information to the contrary. Oversight assumes local prosecutors’ offices may
be impacted as a result of the new duties in §452.1106.3. Therefore, Oversight will range costs
from $0 to (Unknown) and further assumes the unknown impact will be less than $250,000
annually.
Oversight notes the following cases filed and disposed over the past 5 years involving children
in domestic relations:
CASES FILED202320222021202020195 yr. AvgDomestic Relations: Child Protection Extension/Modification-2--11 Child Protection Order8,8998,2087,5907,5848,7058,197 Dissolution of Marriage with Children9,3259,47010,72510,41810,83910,155 Registration of Foreign Judgment- Custody99116115112110110 TOTAL18,32317,79618,43018,11419,65518,464Source: Table 17 from OSCA’s Annual Judicial & Statistical Report Supplemental L.R. No. 0166H.02I
Bill No. HB 481
Page 4 of
April 8, 2025
HWC:LR:OD
CASES DISPOSED202320222021202020195 yr. AvgDomestic Relations: Child Protection Extension/Modification----10 Child Protection Order8,7748,1397,3937,3418,5648,042 Contempt (Includes IV-D)331475488683680527 Dissolution of Marriage with Children9,67510,17510,6679,78911,00610,262 Registration of Foreign Judgment- Custody103115114,115106111 TOTAL18,86318,90418,66217,92520,35718,943Source: Table 17 from OSCA’s Annual Judicial & Statistical Report Supplemental
§§453.700 - 453.742 - Uniform Unregulated Child Custody Transfer Act
Officials from the Office of the State Public Defender (SPD) state per the National Public
Defense Workload Study, the new charge contemplated by this change to §§453.710 and
453.714, which will impact SPD’s child clients, would take approximately fourteen hours of
SPD work for reasonably effective representation. If one hundred cases were filed under this
section in a fiscal year, representation would result in a need for an additional attorney. Because
the number of cases that will be filed under this statute is unknown, the exact additional number
of attorneys necessary is unknown. Each case would also result in unknown increased costs in
the need for core staff, travel, and litigation expenses. However, if the charge was classified as a
class D misdemeanor, no jail time would be authorized and the cases would not qualify for SPD
representation.
Oversight assumes this proposal will create a minimal number of new cases and that the SPD
can absorb the additional caseload required by this proposal with current staff and resources.
Therefore, Oversight will reflect no fiscal impact to the SPD for fiscal note purposes. However,
if multiple bills pass which require additional staffing and duties, the SPD may request funding
through the appropriation process.
Officials from the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services (MOPS) state no measurable fiscal
impact to MOPS. The enactment of a new crime (§§453.710.4 and 453.714.2 – class B
misdemeanors) creates additional responsibilities for county prosecutors and the circuit attorney
which may in turn result in additional costs which are difficult to determine.
Oversight does not have any information to the contrary. Therefore, Oversight assumes MOPS
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 MOPS for fiscal note purposes. L.R. No. 0166H.02I
Bill No. HB 481
Page 5 of
April 8, 2025
HWC:LR:OD
Rule Promulgation
Officials from the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules assume this proposal is not
anticipated to cause a fiscal impact beyond its current appropriation.
Officials from the Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) note many bills considered by the
General Assembly include provisions allowing or requiring agencies to submit rules and
regulations to implement the act. The SOS 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 the SOS for Administrative Rules is less than $5,000. The SOS recognizes that
this is a small amount and does not expect that additional funding would be required to meet
these costs. However, the SOS also recognizes 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 the
office can sustain with its core budget. Therefore, the SOS reserves 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.
Bill as a whole
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 Administration - Administrative Hearing Commission, the
Department of Commerce and Insurance, the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education, the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Labor and Industrial
Relations, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Public Safety – Director’s Office
and the , the Department of Social Services, the Office of
Administration, the Phelps County Sheriff, the Kansas City Police Department and the St.
Louis County Police Department each assume the proposal will have no fiscal impact on their
respective organizations. Oversight does not have any information to the contrary. Therefore,
Oversight will reflect a zero impact in the fiscal note for these agencies.
Oversight only reflects the responses received from state agencies and political subdivisions;
however, various county officials, and other sheriffs and police departments were requested to
respond to this proposed legislation but did not. A listing of political subdivisions included in the
Missouri Legislative Information System (MOLIS) database is available upon request. L.R. No. 0166H.02I
Bill No. HB 481
Page 6 of
April 8, 2025
HWC:LR:OD
FISCAL IMPACT – State GovernmentFY 2026
(10 Mo.)
FY 2027FY 2028GENERAL REVENUE FUNDCosts – OSCA (§§Various) – increased
court costs related to protection of
children
$0 to
(Unknown)
$0 to
(Unknown)
$0 to
(Unknown)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
THE GENERAL REVENUE FUND
$0 to
(Unknown)
$0 to
(Unknown)
$0 to
(Unknown)
FISCAL IMPACT – Local GovernmentFY 2026
(10 Mo.)
FY 2027FY 2028LOCAL GOVERNMENTS -
PROSECUTORS
Costs – County Prosecutors
(§452.1106) – increase in costs due to
additional duties
$0 to
(Unknown)
$0 to
(Unknown)
$0 to
(Unknown)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
$0 to
(Unknown)
$0 to
(Unknown)
$0 to
(Unknown)
FISCAL IMPACT – Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.
FISCAL DESCRIPTION
This proposal modifies provisions relating to the protection of children and includes the Uniform
Child Abduction Prevention Act (§§452.1100 – 452.1122 and 487.110) and the Uniform
Unregulated Child Custody Transfer Act (§§453.700 – 453.742).
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not
require additional capital improvements or rental space. L.R. No. 0166H.02I
Bill No. HB 481
Page 7 of
April 8, 2025
HWC:LR:OD
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Attorney General’s Office
Office of Administration - Administrative Hearing Commission
Department of Commerce and Insurance
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Department of Mental Health
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Department of Revenue
Department of Public Safety –
Director’s Office
Missouri Highway Patrol
Department of Social Services
Office of Administration
Office of the Secretary of State
Office of the State Public Defender
Phelps County Sheriff
Kansas City Police Department
St. Louis County Police Department
Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
Missouri Office of Prosecution Services
Office of the State Courts Administrator
Julie MorffJessica HarrisDirectorAssistant DirectorApril 8, 2025April 8, 2025