Revision: Dec. 13, 2023, 11:25 a.m.
SB 496-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2024 SESSION
24-2887
05/08
SENATE BILL 496-FN
SPONSORS: Sen. Chandley, Dist 11; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Whitley, Dist 15; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Rep. W. Thomas, Hills. 12; Rep. Rung, Hills. 12; Rep. N. Murphy, Hills. 12
COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services
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ANALYSIS
This bill directs the department of health and human services to establish a climate and health protection program in response to health threats associated with a changing environment.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
24-2887
05/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Department of Health and Human Services; Climate and Health Protection Program. Amend RSA 126-A by inserting after section 87 the following new section:
126-A:87-a Climate and Health Protection Program. The department of health and human services shall establish a climate and health protection program to:
I. Collect and analyze data on current and emerging impacts on human health of the changing environment in order to inform policies and actions to protect the health of New Hampshire residents. Monitoring by the department shall include, but not be limited to, the health impacts of the following:
(a) High heat index days.
(b) Illnesses related to ticks, mosquitos, and other climate sensitive vectors.
(c) Episodes of torrential rainfall and resultant flooding.
(d) Rising sea levels and resultant flooding and erosion.
(e) Intense storms causing direct trauma, power outages, and health care services disruption.
(f) Air quality concerns, including related to wildfires.
(g) Longer and more intense pollen seasons.
II. Plan and implement strategies to prevent and respond to current and emerging health threats associated with a changing environment. Such plans and strategies shall prioritize, but not be limited to, preventing and responding to the issues identified in paragraph I.
III. Develop and make available to New Hampshire residents education, information, and resources to help them protect themselves from current and emerging threats to health, to include but not be limited to protection from the issues identified in paragraph I.
IV. Assure that New Hampshire residents are alerted to impending environmental crises that could impact their health, such as from poor air quality, flooding, or storms.
V. Align these efforts with the efforts of the state health improvement plan advisory council, established in RSA 126-A:88, as well as other state agencies and organizations working on adaptation to environmental health threats in order to create a well-coordinated prevention and response system and to avoid redundancy.
VI. Advise legislators and executive officers on policies and actions to protect and respond to the health threats to New Hampshire residents due to a changing environment and include such findings and recommendations as part of the annual report submitted pursuant to RSA 126-A:88, VI.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
24-2887
12/5/23
SB 496-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None
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Estimated State Impact - Increase / (Decrease) | ||||||
| FY 2024 | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures | $0 | $156,500 | $172,200 | $175,700 | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] No • Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] No | ||||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a climate and health protection program to monitor and implement strategies related to a variety of climate-related health issues. In addition, the bill requires the Department to make available to NH residents educational and informational resources on these issues, and to align its efforts with the State Health Improvement Plan Advisory Council. The Department states that in 2016, it established a climate and health program with federal funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At that time, the program cost approximately $200,000 per year, which was used to fund a program manager position as well as contract with a public health support services agency to develop and implement community-based interventions. Since the grant ended in 2022, the Department has had neither State nor federal funding to support the program. In order to implement the bill, the Department assumes it will need to hire a manager (labor grade 27), as well as again contract with a public health support services agency. Projected costs are shown below. The lower salary and benefit costs in FY25 reflect an assumption that the position will not be filled until after the start of the fiscal year.
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 |
Administrator I |
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Salary | $ 62,300 | $ 74,300 | $ 77,100 |
Benefits | $ 32,300 | $ 38,400 | $ 39,100 |
Miscellaneous | $ 11,900 | $ 9,500 | $ 9,500 |
Position Total | $ 106,500 | $ 122,200 | $ 125,700 |
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Contract Costs | $ 50,000 | $ 50,000 | $ 50,000 |
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Grand Total | $ 156,500 | $ 172,200 | $ 175,700 |
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Health and Human Services