Brief ⁽¹⁾

SB 118 creates a new statute under which the Secretary of Health and Environment, within the limits of appropriations, is authorized to establish not more than five fetal alcohol syndrome diagnostic and prevention network pilot programs. As amended by the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare, the pilots are to be established in communities that indicate the availability of local funding, in-kind services, or other resources for support of a pilot program. As amended by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, local communities are required to match the state funds as specified by appropriation act. The Department of Health and Environment is to work with local health agencies in determining pilot sites and is to develop standards for the development of the pilots and for data collection.

The bill authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts for the purpose of establishing the fetal alcohol syndrome pilot diagnostic and prevention pilots and to adopt rules and regulations necessary to administer the provisions of the statute. The Secretary is to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on the pilots on or before the beginning of the 2004 Legislature. SB 118 sets out the subjects to be included in the report.

The statute created by SB 118 would expire on July 1, 2004.

Background

The chief sponsor of SB 118 briefed the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare on issues relating to fetal alcohol syndrome prior to the Committee hearing on the bill. The bill was supported by the Director of Special Education for the Flint Hills Special Education Cooperative, a speech language pathologist, the Executive Director of Emporians for Drug Awareness, a middle school principal, the adoptive parent of a young adult who suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome, and representatives of the Kansas Medical Society and the Kansas Association of Osteopathic Medicine. Written testimony in support of the bill was received from Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri and the Kansas Hospital Association. Representatives of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services and Health and Environment provided information to the Committee.

The Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare amendment was suggested by a conferee. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means amended the bill to reinstate a required local match.

The fiscal note indicates the Department of Health and Environment estimates that implementation of SB 118 would require additional expenditures of $148,600 from the State General Fund and one additional full-time equivalent position in FY 2002. The estimate includes wages and salaries and related operating expenses for a program coordinator, expenditures for technical assistance, program consultation, and a research link with the University of Kansas Medical Center. An estimated $18,000 in assistance would be provided for each pilot ($90,000 total) for team member training and general operating expenses. The estimated expenditures would be in addition to the amounts included in the FY 2002 Governor's Budget Report.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext.cgi