FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: January 29, 2026
Time Requested: 05:54 PM |
| Agency: |
Health, WV Department of |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 1885 |
Introduced |
HB4915 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Health |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
0432 - OFFICE OF CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER
Sources of Revenue:
General Fund
Legislation creates:
Creates New Program
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
The purpose of this bill is to create the "Sudden Death Reporting and Vaccine Transparency Act." It charges the Chief Medical Examiner with investigating all sudden or unexplained deaths, which are defined as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID); Sudden Death in the Young (SDY); Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS); or Any unexpected, unattended, or unexplained death of an individual under the age of 30.
Implementation of the legislation as introduced would increase the costs of both casework and personal services for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner(OCME), specifically through mandating additional laboratory testing, mandating additional histological requirements, mandating additional content to be added to autopsy reports, and mandating the creation of an additional fatality and mortality review panel to accomplish the record keeping and reporting requirements outlined within the legislation as introduced. The additional laboratory testing and histological requirements are outside of the capacity of the OCME laboratory and would have to be outsourced. The additional testing and histological requirement results will then require interpretation and conclusions to be made by the assigned forensic pathologist, increasing the man hours needed for each case. In addition, the mandated content to be added to the autopsy reports will also increase the man hours needed for each case. This legislation will result in an increase to the number of autopsy cases each year, as the mandates will shift cases from non-ocme involvement (decline jurisdiction) to autopsy (accept jurisdiction). The requirements outlined in the legislation will require the OCME to create an additional fatality and mortality review panel, which will require the addition of full time positions to properly manage the additional workflow, and the additional equipment and supplies associated with the newly created positions.
The Department estimates the fiscal impact of this legislation to be $3,775,577 for the first year and $3,924,669 ongoing.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2026
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2027
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
3,775,577 |
3,924,669 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
1,051,991 |
1,073,031 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
2,723,586 |
2,851,638 |
| 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):
Personal services and benefits for the current forensic pathologist staff would total $754,260, the amount was derived using the average per hour salary ($265 per hour) times four (4) hours added per case ($1,060) times the projected number of cases per year (661 based on average number of cases annually from 2021 thru 2025) to equal $700,660. Since these are temporary positions the employee benefits would only include 7.65% for SS match ($53,600). Additional personal services would include the addition of one records coordinator - DOP class OA 2 (Market rate and Benefits = $55,517.00); two (2) data abstractors - DOP class OA 3 (Market rate and benefits of $59,546.00 each =$119,092.00); an Epidemiologist 1 (Market rate and benefits = $96,044.00); additional man hours for the current investigators (average rate and benefits = $27.31 per hour times 1.5 hours per case, times 661 cases)= $27,078; and additional man hours for the FMRP program manager would have to be absorbed by current staff as they are exempt from overtime. The total amount in the personal services for the first year of implementation would be $1,051,991. Subsequent years are based upon a 2% increase in salary costs $1,073,031 ($1,051,991 x 1.02).
For current expenses, the indicated amount was derived by multiplying the current histological cost ($15.50) per histology slide times the average number of slides per case (12), times the projected number of cases per year (661 based on average number of cases annually from 2021 thru 2025) to equal $122,946.00. This amount was added to the cost associated with the number of additional autopsies that would be added to the caseload (661) times the average cost of an autopsy ($3,900.00) for a subtotal of $2,577,900.00, and the cost of development and maintenance of software and database requirements in the amount of $15,000.00, making the total in the current expenses category $2,715,846.00. Subsequent years are based upon a 5% increase in costs $2,851,638 ($2,715,846 x 1.05).
Current expenses of $7,740 related to the new staff would include the purchase of computers and supplies. It would include four (4) power laptops at $1,010.00 each; four (4) extended warranties for the laptops at $181.00 each; four (4) docking stations for the laptops at $158.00 each; four (4) monitors for the laptops at $144.00 each; and standard office supplies (pens, clips, stapler, notepads, tape, etc.) for four (4) positions at $442.00 each.
Memorandum
Assumptions include: 1)The existence of the CDC SUID/SDY database continues or a suitable replacement is developed, as it is currently housed in a CDC division that has been discontinued by the federal government. 2) The authorization by the SDY database owner for WV OCME access at an unknown cost. 3) The ability to input cases for decedents over the age of 20 years in the SDY database as currently the CDC definition covers up to age 20. 4) The existence of an accurate and accessible database related to vaccination and countermeasure records that the OCME would be granted access to that includes information from bordering states for WV residents who obtain healthcare services outside the borders of West Virginia, at an unknown cost. 5) Current federal grant funded positions are specifically prohibited from working on scientific or medical research and those prohibitions shall remain in place in the future. 6) The standards of practice that guide the medical profession, particularly the practice of forensic pathology, will be adjusted to account for some of the included mandates regarding reporting requirements for medical examiners included in the proposed legislation. 7) The rule making authority for the Fatality & Mortality Review Team will allow for and accept an additional review panel and the associated rules required to allow it to properly function. 8) Current caseload trends for decedents under age 30 remain the same at about 661 deaths per year. 9) Personal services costs will increase at a rate of 2% annually. 10) The cost of goods and services that fall within the current expenses category will increase at a rate of 5% annually.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Arvin Singh, Secretary, EdD, MBA, MPH, MS, FACHE
Email Address: OSAfiscalnotes@wv.gov