HB 691-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2019 SESSION
19-0619
08/05
HOUSE BILL 691-FN
SPONSORS: Rep. W. Thomas, Hills. 21; Rep. Murphy, Hills. 21; Rep. Stack, Hills. 21; Rep. Meuse, Rock. 29; Sen. Chandley, Dist 11
COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires blood testing for certain individuals exposed to perfluorinated chemicals in private or public water supplies.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
19-0619
08/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Chapter; Perfluorinated Chemicals Testing. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 130-A the following new chapter:
CHAPTER 130-B
PERFLUORINATED CHEMICALS TESTING
130-B:1 Blood Testing for Perfluorinated chemicals.
I. The department shall develop and implement a program to provide blood testing for persons exposed to perfluorinated chemicals (PFAs) through private or public water supplies at the reduced analytical laboratory price available to state contract holders. The cost of such blood tests shall be covered by the state if:
(a) There is reason to believe or laboratory data demonstrating that the person has been exposed to a drinking water supply in excess of the current applicable groundwater or drinking water criteria;
(b) The department has previously denied the person's request for blood testing for PFAs because his or her public water supply or private water supply does not exceed the current applicable groundwater or drinking water criteria;
(c) The person lives, works, or attends school in an area where there has been a suspected release of PFAs into the air or into the groundwater or drinking water;
(d) The person is a minor who attends daycare or school in an area where there has been a suspected release of PFAs into the air or into the groundwater or drinking water; or
(e) The person lives in a municipality where PFAs have been detected in the drinking water supply.
II. In this chapter, "department" means the department of health and human services.
III. If a municipality has been exposed to concentrations of PFAs in an excess of a total of 50 parts per trillion or the current ambient groundwater quality standard found in rule, whichever is lower, in relation to a known or suspected release, the department shall assess and report to the public the prevalence and incidence of indications known or suspected to be associated with exposure to PFAs within that exposed population including, but not limited to, kidney, liver, or testicular cancer; low birth weight; miscarriages; ulcerative colitis; and thyroid disease or cancer.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
19-0619
1/16/19
HB 691-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None
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STATE: | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Expenditures | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase |
Funding Source: | [ X ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ ] Other | |||
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METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to offer and pay for blood testing for perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) for individuals meeting at least one of several criteria established by the bill. Additionally, whenever a municipality has been exposed to PFCs beyond a certain level defined by the bill, the Department would be required to assess and report the prevalence of a variety of conditions associated with exposure to PFCs.
The Department estimates it would take nine to 12 months to develop the program by hiring and training staff, and the bill would require the addition of four new staff members, as follows:
| FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY 23 |
Program Specialist IV (LG 25, Step 5) |
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Salary and Benefits | $90,000 | $91,000 | $96,000 | $97,000 |
Related Expenses | $14,531 | $13,531 | $13,531 | $13,531 |
Business Systems Analyst (LG 28, Step 5) |
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Salary and Benefits | $100,000 | $101,000 | $106,000 | $107,000 |
Related Expenses | $12,200 | $14,400 | $14,400 | $14,400 |
Toxicologist III (LG 26, Step 5) |
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Salary and Benefits | $93,000 | $94,000 | $99,000 | $100,000 |
Related Expenses | $14,531 | $13,531 | $13,531 | $13,531
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Lab Assistant III (LG 14, Step 5) |
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Salary and Benefits | $64,000 | $65,000 | $68,000 | $69,000 |
Related Expenses | $14,531 | $13,531 | $13,531 | $13,531 |
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Total Position Costs: | $402,793 | $405,993 | $423,993 | $427,993 |
The Department also anticipates the following additional expenses:
| FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | ||
Lab Instruments | $485,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Contract to receive calls from citizens regarding test results | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||
Contract for routine specimen transport | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | ||
Instrument Service Contract | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||
Expand Qualtrics Contract | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||
Access to Chronic Disease Data Contract | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||
Dry Ice contract expansion | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||
Testing Costs | $150 per test (all years) |
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Contract to manage volume of testing | $200 per test (all years) |
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Phlebotomy Services | $50.00 per participant (all years) |
The Department estimates the costs for printing and mailing lab reports would range between $25,000 and $50,000 per year. To implement this bill and fulfill the reporting requirements, the Department would procure access to the New Hampshire Comprehensive Health Care Information System, which contains data on chronic disease. However, the Department reports multiple data limitations exist within this data system. Further, many of the incidences in the state required to be reported and analyzed by this bill are located in decentralized databases or not currently captured. The Department estimates the cost of setting up a chronic disease registry to accurately capture incidences of certain chronic diseases is potentially as high as $500,000.
Finally, the Department states the overall cost of implementing the bill's reporting requirement is indeterminable, as the Department is currently unaware of how many municipalities have been exposed to PFC levels higher than the threshold contained in the bill, nor does the Department currently track the prevalence of the various conditions the bill would require it to monitor.
Department of Environmental Services reported this bill will have no impact on their expenditures.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Environmental Services
Date | Body | Type |
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Feb. 6, 2019 | House | Hearing |
Feb. 26, 2019 | House | Exec Session |
House | Floor Vote | |
March 7, 2019 | House | Floor Vote |
March 7, 2019: Inexpedient to Legislate: MA RC 241-117 03/07/2019 HJ 8 P. 43
March 7, 2019: Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate for 03/07/2019 (Vote 16-5; RC) HC 14 P. 13
: Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate (Vote 16-5; RC)
Feb. 26, 2019: Executive Session: 02/26/2019 01:00 pm LOB 205
Feb. 26, 2019: Division II Subcommittee Work Session: 02/26/2019 10:00 am LOB 205
Feb. 19, 2019: Division II Subcommittee Work Session: 02/19/2019 01:00 pm LOB 205
Feb. 6, 2019: Public Hearing: 02/06/2019 10:30 am LOB 205
Jan. 3, 2019: Introduced 01/03/2019 and referred to Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs HJ 3 P. 26