FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: February 26, 2021
Time Requested: 12:01 PM |
| Agency: |
Health and Human Resources, WV Department of |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 2129 |
Introduced |
HB2783 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Health |
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FUND(S):
8802 - PUBLIC HEALTH-FEDERAL FUND
Sources of Revenue:
Other Fund Federal
Legislation creates:
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
The purpose of this bill is to permit a physician, as 46 other states allow, to grant a child a medical exemption from the required immunizations for entering a school or a state-regulated child care center. The position of Immunization Officer is eliminated.
This bill will eliminate the need for a medical Immunization Officer whose services are currently being performed by a filled .50 temporary Physician Director position that is 100% federally funded.
For the purpose of preparing the fiscal note we assumed an effective date of July 1, 2021. The Department estimates a $4,758 reduction in federally funded expenses for FY2022 and ongoing fiscal years.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2021
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2022
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
-4,758 |
-4,758 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
-3,558 |
-3,558 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
-1,200 |
-1,200 |
| 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):
The $4,758 reduction is estimated by doubling the July - December 2020 personal services costs of $1,779 and estimating the current expenses based on the annual OASIS billing ($275 x .50 FTE) & Office of Technology fee ($1,062).
Memorandum
The Department has concerns that this proposed legislation will decrease vaccination of West Virginia children and increase childhood disease. The Medical Immunization Officer is currently responsible for conducting a public health review of medical exemption requests and assuring children are protected using national immunization standards supported by professional associations, immunization experts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and others. Current law allows exemptions to be granted safely, accurately and consistently. This legislation would allow medical exemptions submitted by physicians to become permissible without oversight by either the Immunization Officer or State Health Officer and require expertise that not all duly licensed physicians would need or have.
The Department currently supplies preventable disease vaccine, free of charge, to public and private providers when necessary using federal funds provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Section 317 Public Health Service Act.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Bill J. Crouch
Email Address: Bill.J.Crouch@wv.gov