HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 66
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Perdue, Leach,
Proudfoot, Barker, Iaquinta, Miley and R. Thompson,Amores,
Anderson, Argento, Ashley, Azinger, Beach, Beane, Blair, Boggs,
Border, Brown, Browning, Butcher, Campbell, Cann, Canterbury,
Caputo, Carmichael, Craig, Crosier, DeLong, Doyle, Duke,
Eldridge, Ellem, Ennis, Evans, Fragale, Frederick, Frich, Hall,
Hamilton, Hartman, Hatfield, Houston, Howard, Hrutkay, Hunt,
Kominar, Leggett, Long, Longstreth, Louisos, Mahan, Manchin,
Marshall, Martin, Michael, Moore, Morgan, Palumbo, Paxton, Perry,
Pethtel, Pino, Poling, Porter, Roberts, Romine, Rowan, Schadler,
Schoen, Spencer, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Stephens, Stevens,
Sumner, Susman, Swartzmiller, Tabb, Talbott, Tansill, Ron
Thompson, Trump, Tucker, Varner, Wakim, Webster, Wells, Gil
White, H. K. White, Williams, Wysong and Yost)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the
increasing role sanitarians play in protecting public health;
the emerging shortage of qualified sanitarians to meet the
needs of West Virginia; and strategies to develop, train and
retain sanitarians.
Whereas, The role of sanitarians in protecting the public
health on a statewide and local level has increased dramatically over the past several years with increased needs in the areas of
disease control, environmental health and threat preparedness; and
Whereas, Over the next five years over thirty percent of West
Virginia's current sanitarians will be eligible to retire; and
Whereas, Insufficient numbers of new sanitarians are being
educated and trained to meet the public health needs; and
Whereas, The resources of state and local health departments
are inadequate to compete with compensation levels of surrounding
states; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to study the projected future need for sanitarians in
state and local health departments and strategies to promote and
develop the profession to sufficient levels to meet that need
through efforts to recruit, educate, train and compensate
sanitarians in order to protect the health of the citizens of the
State of West Virginia; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and
Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2006, on
its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts
of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance.