Birth certificate fees; allow to be spent on maternal, infant and children's healthcare programs.
Summary
SB 2742 amends Section 41-57-11 of the Mississippi Code to add a new $1 fee to each original birth certificate and each copy of a birth certificate issued by the State Board of Health. The bill directs that this additional revenue be deposited either into the Mississippi Children's Trust Fund or, if not deposited there, into another comparable fund dedicated to maternal, infant, and children's healthcare, with approval from the Department of Child Protection Services. The fee would not apply to birth certificates that are already provided free under existing law.
The bill also leaves unchanged the existing payment structure for local registrars, who are paid $1 for properly completed birth and death certificates and 50 cents for improperly completed or late submissions. The new fee is separate from existing birth certificate issuance fees and is intended to create a dedicated funding source for health-related programs serving mothers, infants, and children, effective July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill would amend Mississippi’s vital records fee statute by creating a dedicated surcharge on birth certificate issuance and copies, and by specifying how those funds may be used. It would not alter the underlying authority to issue birth certificates, but it would redirect the new $1 per certificate revenue to child- and family-health-related purposes through the Mississippi Children's Trust Fund or another approved fund. The measure affects applicants for birth certificates, the State Board of Health’s fee collection process, and any designated trust or program receiving the proceeds.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is generally favorable and noncontroversial. Its caption frames it as a health-focused measure to support maternal, infant, and children’s healthcare, and there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes indicating opposition or debate. The absence of recorded dissent, combined with the targeted public-health purpose, suggests the bill was presented as a straightforward funding mechanism rather than a contentious policy change.
Contention
The main policy choice in the bill is where the new fee revenue should go: the Mississippi Children's Trust Fund or another like fund dedicated to maternal, infant, and children's healthcare, subject to approval by the Department of Child Protection Services. Potential points of concern could include the added cost to birth certificate purchasers and the discretion involved in selecting the receiving fund, but no specific objections, amendments, or opposing viewpoints are reflected in the available record.