FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: February 18, 2025
Time Requested: 04:27 PM |
| Agency: |
Human Services, WV Department of |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 1201 |
Introduced |
HB2533 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Crime; Domestic Relations; Juveniles |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
'0489 - BUREAU FOR SOCIAL SERVICES-FOSTER CARE; 8816 - TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF)
Sources of Revenue:
Other Fund General and Federal
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 relates to establishing a drug testing program for adults who apply to serve as foster parents, kinship parents, or caregivers to displaced children in the legal custody of the Department of Human Services.
The Department anticipates a fiscal impact of $284,779 the first year and $184,779 ongoing. The Department could potentially receive some federal participation, but would need prior approval from Federal agency, therefore, currently projecting state funding.
The bill applies to caretakers of children in state custody, which may include TANF relative caregiver cases. Potential costs to the TANF program may exist, but are unquantifiable at this time.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2025
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2026
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
284,779 |
184,779 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
284,779 |
184,779 |
| 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 Department currently has a contract in place with a vendor to provide drug testing services. The current contract parameters do match the list of drugs outlined in the bill. Additionally the contract does specify urine testing. The drug testing vendor currently charges $29.33 per urine drug screening. The vendor has locations throughout the State of West Virginia where individuals can be tested. After October 2025 the costs of each drug test could increase or decrease as the contract will have to be re-bid.
The fiscal impact is based on a calculation of $29.33 per urine screening drug test.
Programming and system changes to account for tracking of information in system is estimated at $100,000 per current contractor.
Memorandum
The current drug testing contract expires in October 2025, therefore the cost of each drug test could increase or decrease after October 31, 2025. Additionally, if all adults in the home beyond the parents of household will be required to be drug tested, additional costs will be incurred at the $29.33 per drug test per individual. The Department does not have an estimate of how many homes have additional adults, beyond the 2 parents, in the home.
There is reference in the bill language to "…who has a positive drug test shall complete a substance abuse treatment and counseling program approved by the secretary." The bill is silent as to whom shall pay for the cost of the treatment and counseling program. If it is the bill's intent that the Department will bear these costs, the estimate will increase. The Department does not have an associated cost of treatment and counseling, nor an estimate of the number of positive drug tests, therefore the cost are not estimable.
Cost estimates do not include personnel costs associated with assisting current or future foster parents, kinship parents or caregivers with scheduling drug tests. Tracking negative and positive drug tests are also not factored into personnel costs associated with assisting current or future foster parents.
The bill implies that the family/individual may be suspended from being a foster caregiver for a period of 12 months at point of a failed drug test. If this is the case they would not have any foster children in their home. They would not have had a foster child for the last year, therefore not sure of the Department's right to come in after 12 months of suspension and investigate the individual/family when they have no foster children placed with them. The Department assumes at that point the family/individual would no longer be seeking placement of a child/ren, and any department involved absent a referral for abuse and neglect against their own children would be a gross violation of their rights.
The estimate does not include costs of retesting, if a foster family member would fail the initial test and require re-testing. The estimate also does not include a designated official in a residential treatment facility as the bill is not clear as to whom those individual(s) are.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Alex J. Mayer
Email Address: osafiscalnotes@wv.gov