Sources of Revenue:

General Fund

Legislation creates:

Neither Program nor Fund

Fiscal Note Summary

Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.

The purpose of this bill is to provide medical and nonmedical exemptions from mandatory immunizations for school children. The bill would require parents and guardians to assert their conscientious or religious beliefs in an affidavit. Parents or guardians seeking an exemption for a child would be required to present an affidavit affirming that they have completed and understood an educational course approved by the Commissioner of Public Health regarding the risks and benefits of immunizations, to be provided by the Bureau for Public Health, before the exemption could apply. Further, the bill would remove students who are not immunized from school in times of emergency or epidemics. The bill provides that the Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Health may by rule add or delete diseases for which vaccines are required for school attendance and to reconstitute the Immunization Advisory Committee. There will be substantial costs to the DHHR Immunization Program for which the Program is not prepared to meet. Initial costs will be incurred with: (1) production of videos, which will have to be contracted with a public relations/advertising firm containing subject matter for both medical and non-medical exemptions; (2) regional training costs for 55 local health officers, including conference facility costs and travel expenses; (3) approximately 22,000 VIS (Vaccine Information Statements) copies; and (4) WVSIIS (West Virginia Statewide Immunization Information System) Registry Enhancement costs.

Fiscal Note Detail

Effect of Proposal	Fiscal Year
Effect of Proposal	2009 Increase/Decrease (use"-")	2010 Increase/Decrease (use"-")	Fiscal Year (Upon Full Implementation)
1. Estmated Total Cost	0	283,450	12,200
Personal Services	0	0	0
Current Expenses	0	283,450	12,200
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):

Current Expenses: Cost of Videos - $155,000; Regional Training - $12,200; VIS copies - $1,250; SIIS Registry Enhancement - $115,000. With the exception of the costs of vaccine information statement copies, there are no known future costs. At some point in time, the video tapes would have to be re-done. However, the original videos would be expected to be applicable for a minimum of four years. It is expected that some addtional training expenses would be incurred, approximately $12,200 in the subsequent year.

Memorandum

Although the authority exists for a nominal charge to be made, it is difficult to estimate a revenue amount. There is currently no special revenue fund for the Immunization Program to place such receipts if charges were to be imposed/collected. It is also important to note that the above calculation does not include any costs incurred by the Local Health Departments for their time and effort, which may be subsequently charged to the immunization program. Local Health Departments would be charged with conducting the risk/benefit education of parents or other legal guardians and would be required to certify that the parent has been adequately informed to opt out of required vaccinations for their children.

Person submitting Fiscal Note: Martha Yeager Walker
Email Address: dhhrbudgetoffice@wv.gov