FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: January 11, 2024
Time Requested: 10:46 PM |
| Agency: |
Insurance Commission |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 1922 |
Introduced |
HB4537 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
|
|---|
|
FUND(S):
7152, 7162, 7173
Sources of Revenue:
Special Fund
Legislation creates:
Increases Existing Expenses
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
House Bill 4537, if enacted, would create a rebuttable presumption of injury arising out of and in the course of employment for professional firefighters diagnosed with bladder cancer, mesothelioma, and testicular cancer.
It is probable that the provisions of HB4537 would increase workers' compensation premium rates for employers who employee firefighters. It is important to note that governmental entities are the typical employer of professional firefighters, so they would bear the increased costs.
As there is no effective date in HB4537, it is also likely that the enactment of HB4537 could impact some State administered worker's compensation funds with increased costs due to retroactive application of HB4537.
The Offices of the Insurance Commissioner is unable to quantify the extent of the potential costs increases. Please see memorandum section of the fiscal note for additional information.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2024
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2025
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
Please explain increases and decreases in personal services, current expenses, repairs and alterations, assets, other costs and revenues, including assumptions and data sources and delineation between start-up and ongoing costs. Please also include a long-range schedule of costs and revenues if fiscal impact is expected to vary in future years.
Memorandum
House Bill 4537, if enacted, would expand the diseases designated to create rebuttable presumptions of injury arising out of and in the course of employment for professional firefighters to include three additional diseases: bladder cancer, mesothelioma, and testicular cancer.
The OIC is unable to quantify the potential increased costs to employers of firefighters or to the State administered worker's compensation funds due to lack of data regarding incidence of those diseases in that classification of workers.
We also noted that HB4537 does not contain an effective date, so retroactive application of the provisions of HB4537 appears possible. The provisions of HB4537 do have an expiration date, which is unusual for benefits awarded under Chapter 23.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Rhonda Hartwell
Email Address: rhonda.c.hartwell@wv.gov