FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: February 02, 2026
Time Requested: 01:36 PM |
| Agency: |
Respiratory Care, WV Board of |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 3442 |
Introduced |
HB5015 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Health |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
0935
Sources of Revenue:
Special Fund
Legislation creates:
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
Summarize in a clear and concise manner what impact this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
HB5015 would authorize the West Virginia Board of Respiratory Care to participate in the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact. The Board is a self-sufficient regulatory entity and does not receive General Revenue funds or rely on taxpayer support. All Board operations are financed through licensure and related fees deposited into a State Special Revenue Fund. Accordingly, HB5015 does not create a fiscal impact to the State’s General Fund; however, it may affect the Board’s special revenue fund depending on future Compact implementation requirements.
The total fiscal impact of HB5015 on the Board’s special revenue fund is indeterminate at this time. While the bill anticipates Compact participation, several cost drivers cannot be reliably quantified due to the Compact’s pre-operational status. Potential costs include Interstate Commission assessments, for which both the amount and allocation methodology are currently unknown, as well as expenses related to data system integration, data transfer, cybersecurity, and interface development. Ongoing system maintenance and support costs are also expected but cannot be estimated until the Interstate Commission establishes and publishes formal technical specifications and data exchange requirements.
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 |
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.
The personal services impact of HB5015 is currently anticipated to be zero. No new staff positions are assumed at this time
Current expenses associated with HB5015 are also indeterminate and would be taken from the Board’s special revenue fund if incurred. These expenses may include annual Interstate Commission assessments, vendor subscriptions, licensing and transactional fees, cybersecurity services, and costs associated with ongoing data exchange and reporting obligations under the Compact. No fiscal impact is anticipated for repairs and alterations.
Asset-related costs are indeterminate. HB5015 requires the Board to participate in a coordinated data system and to submit a uniform data set that includes licensure information, adverse actions, and certain investigative data. While some level of information technology configuration or interface development is anticipated, the Board cannot estimate asset costs until the Interstate Commission establishes technical standards, data formats, security protocols, and system architecture requirements.
Other potential costs associated with HB5015 are indeterminate and may include legal and administrative expenses related to implementation of Interstate Commission rules, updates to state policies, and revisions to legislative rules necessary to maintain compliance. All such costs would be absorbed by the Board’s special revenue fund and not by the State’s General Fund.
Estimated revenues associated with HB5015 are also indeterminate. The legislation authorizes the Board to collect Compact Privilege Fees from out-of-state practitioners; however, revenue projections cannot be developed at this time due to uncertainty regarding Compact activation, participation levels, and fee structures. If Compact Privilege Fees and Compact renewal fees align with existing licensure and renewal fees, overall revenue to the Board’s special revenue fund is expected to remain stable, resulting in no material change to baseline licensing revenue solely attributable to HB5015.
Memorandum
Please identify any areas of vagueness, technical defects, reasons a bill would not have a fiscal impact, and/or any special issues not captured elsewhere on this form.
Several assumptions underlie this analysis and are subject to significant uncertainty. The Compact becomes effective only upon enactment by at least seven states, meaning no fiscal impact to the Board’s special revenue fund will occur unless that threshold is met. The Interstate Commission may impose annual assessments on member states, but the assessment methodology has not been established. Because the Board is statutorily required to remain financially self-sufficient, it cannot absorb material ongoing Compact-related costs without corresponding offsetting revenue.
If activated, initial implementation may result in one-time start-up costs in the first operating year, including information technology integration, security testing, and system implementation. Ongoing costs in subsequent years may include recurring Commission assessments, data system maintenance, and continued compliance and reporting obligations. Because both Commission assessments and data system requirements remain undefined, the Board cannot responsibly project fixed multi-year fiscal impacts beyond identifying these cost drivers.
At this time, HB5015 has an indeterminate fiscal impact on the West Virginia Board of Respiratory Care’s special revenue fund. While the bill may generate new revenue through Compact Privilege Fees if activated, it may also introduce ongoing expenditures that could be material. Actual fiscal outcomes will depend on future Interstate Commission rules, technical requirements, Compact participation levels, and the Board’s ability to set Compact Privilege Fees at levels sufficient to fully offset all Compact-related costs while maintaining long-term financial self-sufficiency.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Amber Legg
Email Address: amber.legg@wv.gov