SB496: directing the department of health and human services to establish a climate and health protection program.

SB 496-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

03/07/2024 0833s

2024 SESSION

24-2887

05/08

SENATE BILL 496-FN

AN ACT directing the department of health and human services to establish a climate and health protection program.

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

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03/07/2024 0833s 24-2887

05/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four

AN ACT directing the department of health and human services to establish a climate and health protection program.

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.

VII. Implementation of the climate and health protection program shall be contingent on the availability of sufficient funding from non-state sources. No general funds shall be appropriated to the department for administration of the program. The department shall seek and apply for any appropriate grants and federal funds available to administer the program. The department may seek and accept donations or other monies that are not general funds.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBA

24-2887

Amended 4/10/24

SB 496-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2024-0833s)

AN ACT directing the department of health and human services to establish a climate and health protection program.

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

Estimated State Impact - Increase / (Decrease)

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

Revenue Fund(s)

None

Expenditures

$0

Up to $156,500

Up to $172,200

Up to $175,700

Funding Source(s)

Federal funds, grants, or other non-general fund sources

Appropriations

$0

$0

$0

$0

Funding Source(s)

None

• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] See Below

• Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] No

METHODOLOGY:

Contingent upon available funding, 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 bill explicitly states that implementation of the program shall be contingent upon the availability of sufficient funding from non-state sources, and that no general funds shall be appropriated for administration of the program. The cost projections below assume full implementation.

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

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

Contract Costs

$ 50,000

$ 50,000

$ 50,000

Grand Total

$ 156,500

$ 172,200

$ 175,700

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Health and Human Services