HB691 (2019) Detail

Relative to blood testing for individuals exposed to perfluorinated chemicals in private or public water supplies.


HB 691-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2019 SESSION

19-0619

08/05

 

HOUSE BILL 691-FN

 

AN ACT relative to blood testing for individuals exposed to perfluorinated chemicals in private or public water supplies.

 

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

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

ANALYSIS

 

This bill requires blood testing for certain individuals exposed to perfluorinated chemicals in private or public water supplies.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.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

 

AN ACT relative to blood testing for individuals exposed to perfluorinated chemicals in private or public water supplies.

 

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.

 

LBAO

19-0619

1/16/19

 

HB 691-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to blood testing for individuals exposed to perfluorinated chemicals in private or public water supplies.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

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

 

 

 

 

 

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)

 

 

 

 

     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)

 

 

 

 

     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)

 

 

 

 

     Salary and Benefits

$93,000

$94,000

$99,000

$100,000

     Related Expenses

$14,531

$13,531

$13,531

$13,531

 

Lab Assistant III

(LG 14, Step 5)

 

 

 

 

     Salary and Benefits

$64,000

$65,000

$68,000

$69,000

     Related Expenses

$14,531

$13,531

$13,531

$13,531

 

 

 

 

 

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)

 

 

Contract to manage volume of testing

$200 per test (all years)

 

 

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

 

Links


Date Body Type
Feb. 6, 2019 House Hearing
Feb. 26, 2019 House Exec Session
House Floor Vote
March 7, 2019 House Floor Vote

Bill Text Revisions

HB691 Revision: 4984 Date: Jan. 17, 2019, 2:34 p.m.

Docket


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