FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: January 10, 2020
Time Requested: 03:39 PM |
| Agency: |
Health and Human Resources, WV Department of |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 1724 |
Introduced |
HB4063 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Health |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
8802 - PUBLIC HEALTH-FEDERAL FUND
Sources of Revenue:
Other Fund Federal
Legislation creates:
Decreases Existing Expenses
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
The purpose of this bill is to permit physicians to provide exemption certificates relating to required immunizations. It removes requirement for certain personnel to report persons not immunized.
This bill permits physicians to provide medical exemption certificates relating to required immunizations without oversight by the medical Immunization Officer or State Public Health Officer; authorizes a child's physician to grant, renew, condition, deny, suspend, or revoke exemptions to the compulsory immunization requirements on a statewide basis upon sufficient medical evidence that immunization is contraindicated or there exists a specific precaution to a particular vaccine; and removes the Bureau for Public Health Commissioner's authority to appoint or employ a medical Immunization Officer who is licensed as a physician under the laws of the State to oversee the Program and make recommendations and decisions related to exemption requests.
This proposed legislation will eliminate the need for a medical Immunization Officer whose services are currently being performed by a filled temporary Physician Director position that is 100% federally funded. The Department estimates a reduction of federally funded expenditures of $6,399 during FY2021 and ongoing fiscal years.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2020
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2021
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
-6,399 |
-6,399 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
-4,649 |
-4,649 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
-1,750 |
-1,750 |
| 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 reduction is estimated by doubling July - December 2019 personal services costs ($4,649) and estimating current expenses ($1,750) for 12 months to calculate a full fiscal year total cost.
Memorandum
The Bureau for Public Health does have 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 enable any medical exemption submitted by a physician 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 Bureau's Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services 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: dhhrbudgetoffice@wv.gov