OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sSB-986
AN ACT PROTECTING MATERNAL HEALTH.
Primary Analyst: RDP 4/3/23
Contributing Analyst(s): LD, ES
Reviewer: PR
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 24 $ FY 25 $
Resources of the General Fund GF - Revenue
Gain
985 None
Resources of the General Fund GF - Revenue
Loss
985 None
Public Health, Dept. GF - Cost 90,970 96,444
State Comptroller - Fringe
Benefits
1
GF - Cost 38,953 41,297
Resources of the General Fund GF - Revenue
Gain
5,000 5,000
Office of Early Childhood GF - Potential
Cost
See Below See Below
Social Services, Dept. GF - Potential
Cost
See Below See Below
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill results in various fiscal impacts, identified by section below.
Section 3, which establishes Birth Center biennial licensure of $940
per site and $7.5 per bed, results in a General Fund revenue gain of $985
in FY 24. There is currently one Maternity Hospital licensed by the
Department of Public Health (DPH) in Danbury. It is the Connecticut
Childbirth & Women's Center, and it is the only facility to hold
1
The fringe benefit costs for most state employees are budgeted centrally in accounts
administered by the Comptroller. The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost
associated with most personnel changes is 42.82% of payroll in FY 24. 2023SB-00986-R000425-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 2
accreditation by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers
in Connecticut. It has six beds. It is anticipated to seek Birth Center
licensure in FY 24.
Section 6, which directs DPH to not grant or renew Maternity
Hospital licensure on and after 1/1/24, results in a General Fund
revenue loss of $985 in FY 24. CGS Sec. 19a-491 sets the biennial
licensure fee for Maternity Hospitals at of $940 per site and $7.5 per bed.
Section 7, which establishes a Public Health Infant Mortality Review
program in DPH, results in a cost to the agency of $90,970 in FY 24 and
$96,444 in FY 25 and fringe benefit costs of $38,953 in FY 24 and $41,297
in FY 25 for a Nurse Consultant to study infant deaths and produce
recommendations on how to reduce them.
Section 10, which establishes doula certification for a fee of $100,
results in a revenue gain to the General Fund of approximately $5,000
in FY 24 and FY 25. It is anticipated that DPH's Practitioner Licensing
and Investigations Section can accommodate certification of
approximately 50 doulas annually with existing staff and resources.
Doula certification may be renewed every three years.
Section 12 results in a potential cost to the Office of Early Childhood
(OEC) to establish a statewide universal newborn nurse home visiting
program, within available appropriations. This section also allows the
Department of Social Services (DSS) to seek approval of an amendment
to the Medicaid state plan or waiver to provide coverage of universal
newborn nurse home visiting services. This results in a cost to DSS to
the extent that related services are billed under Medicaid.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation, the number of doulas that
seek DPH certification, funding available to OEC for the universal
newborn nurse home visiting program, and the extent to which services
for this program are billed under Medicaid.