Senate Bill No. 662

(By Senators Mitchell, Hunter, Rowe, Caldwell and Snyder)

____________

[Introduced March 26, 2001; referred to the Committee on Health and Human Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

____________




A BILL to amend article two, chapter nine of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section twelve, relating to creating the "health and human resources hearing aid endowment fund" for the purpose of assisting low-income individuals in obtaining hearing aids.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two, chapter nine of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section twelve, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES, AND OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN SERVICES; POWERS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES GENERALLY.

 §9-2-12. Health and human resources hearing aid endowment fund.
 (a) T here is hereby created a special revenue fund in the state treasury which is designated and known as the "health and human resources hearing aid endowment fund," which is created for the purpose of assisting low income individuals in obtaining hearing aids. The assets of the fund shall consist of any appropriations to the fund from the Legislature and all interest earned from the investment of the fund, and any gifts, grants or contributions received by the fund. The secretary of health and human resources shall administer the fund and may only expend moneys from the fund to assist low income individuals in obtaining hearing aids or similar hearing devices, and to administer the fund. All expenditures from the fund shall be made from income received and accruing from investment of the fund, and no expenditures may be made from the principle of the fund.
(b) The secretary shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to provide for administration of the fund and for implementation of the provisions of this section. The rules shall include the following:
(1) Provisions for expending the interest income from the fund to assist low income individuals in obtaining hearing aids;
(2) Provisions setting forth income guidelines and hearing standards to qualify for assistance from the fund; and
(3) A procedure for submitting a budget request to the governor for initial funding for the fund.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create the "Health and Human Resources Hearing Aid Endowment Fund" for the purpose of assisting low income individuals in obtaining hearing aids.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.