FISCAL NOTE
FUND(S):
Dangerous Wild Animal Fund
Sources of Revenue:
Special Fund
Legislation creates:
A New Program,A New Fund
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
SB466 creates the Dangerous Wild Animal Board and Dangerous Wild Animal Fund to support rule-making and regulation of dangerous wild animals housed in WV. The Commissioner of Agriculture is ex officio Chair of the Board, and the Department of Agriculture is charged with providing staff and other support for the Board's activities. The Board, along with Department of Agriculture personnel will be responsible for issuing permits and conducting investigations on dangerous wild animals held around the state. The fee for each permit is unknown at this time, as it is to be established by rule. Also, there are no estimates on the number or type of dangerous wild animals in the state, so it is not possible to reasonably estimate permit revenue that will go into the special revenue fund dedicated to this program.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2013
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2014
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
150,212 |
112,212 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
87,212 |
87,212 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
25,000 |
25,000 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
28,000 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
10,000 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
Assuming implementation at the beginning of FY 2014, this program would require the hiring of a Field Investigator/Program Coordinator to handle the day-to-day administrative and regulatory tasks on behalf of the Dangerous Wild Animal Board. This new position would be 1.00 FTE with an annual salary of $45,000 plus benefits. Additionally, existing staff including a Field Veterinarian (.20 FTE, $10,400 + benefits) and clerical support (.20 FTE, $6,234 + benefits) would be required to dedicate time to this program's activities on an ongoing basis. Day-to-day operating expenses of the program would require $25,000 annually. In the first full year of implementation, $28,000 would be required for a vehicle, computer, office furniture and other equipment would be purchased for use by the new Field Investigator. Additionally, $10,000 would be required for upgrades to the Department of Agriculture's animal health management system (USAHERDS) to allow for the identification and tracking of the dangerous wild animal species and premises that house them. The cost estimates above involve the permitting process only; in the event of a disease outbreak response or other emergency, additional costs would be incurred and would vary depending on species, location, severity and other factors.
Memorandum
The Department of Agriculture does not have any enforcement authority under SB466 in its current form. Our agency would need assistance from local law enforcement and/or DNR in the event of an emergency. The criminal penalties in this proposed exotic bill exceed any penalties authorized by Department of Agriculture to impose. This bill does not define if this is a terminal operation or capture for relocation operation which would have a dynamic fiscal impact on personnel and other resources. There are no disease surveillance or management issues in this bill related to human health or domestic livestock which need to be directly addressed.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Sandra Gillispie, Director, Admin. Services Div.
Email Address: sgillispie@wvda.us