Senate amends SB 10 to trim fiscal uncertainty for registry of unidentified deceased persons

Senator Nielsen presented Senate Bill 10 on Jan. 26, 1998, describing it as a response to constituent concern about unmarked or poorly documented burials. The bill would create a registry for unidentified deceased persons to help families locate burial sites and records.

Sponsor explanation and amendment: Senator Nielsen said the bill was prompted by a constituent who discovered an ancestor buried in an unmarked grave and who could not locate records. The sponsor proposed an amendment deleting language that would have required conducting DNA analysis; the amendment was offered to reduce the fiscal uncertainty that had generated a larger estimated cost in the original fiscal note. Senator Nielsen explained that the primary fiscal driver was DNA analysis and sample storage; removing that requirement reduced the state's estimated fiscal exposure to roughly $27,000 the first year and around $12,000 annually after that.

Committee and floor action: Senator Nielsen reported committee approval and asked for the amendment; the Senate adopted the amendment on the floor and advanced the bill to third reading. The sponsor and other senators emphasized the bill’s value to families seeking closure and the modest fiscal impact after the amendment.

Why it matters: The bill creates a statewide mechanism for documenting unidentified burials and assisting family members — an issue framed in the hearing as a human-services and records-management priority. The amendment narrowed the bill’s scope to reduce state costs while preserving the registry’s primary function.

Next steps: SB 10 was read for the third time and advanced to the third-reading calendar after the floor amendment. Any appropriation for related activity would depend on later fiscal decisions by the Legislature.