Massachusetts SD 2995: DPH Report on Vaccine Purchase Trust Fund Fiscal Year 2019

Bill Text

June 30, 2020    
 
 
Michael  D. Hurley 
Senate Clerk 
State House Room  335 
Boston,  MA 02133 
 
Steven  T. James 
House Clerk 
State House Room  145 
Boston,  MA 02133 
 
 
 
 
Dear Mr. Clerk: 
 
Pursuant to  Massachusetts General  Law Chapter 111  Section  24N,  please find  enclosed  a report 
from the Department of Public Health entitled “Vaccine  Purchase Trust Fund  Fiscal  Year 2019.” 
 
Sincerely, 
 
 
 
Monica  Bharel,  MD,  MPH 
Commissioner  of Public  Health 
 
 
The Commonwealth  of Massachusetts 
Executive Office of Health and Human Services 
Department of Public Health 
250 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108-4619 
 
 
CHARLES D. BAKER 
Governor 
KARYN E. POLITO 
Lieutenant Governor 
 
MARYLOU SUDDERS 
Secretary 
MONICA BHAREL,  MD, MPH 
Commissioner 
 
Tel: 617-624-6000 
www.mass.gov/dph 
 

  
Vaccine Purchase Trust Fund  
Fiscal Year 2019 
 
June 2020 

  

4 
Le gis lative Mandate 
 
The following  report  is hereby  issued  pursuant  to Massachusetts General  Law Chapter 111 
Section  24N as follows:  
 
 Section 24N. (a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly 
requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-- 
"Children'', individuals  less than 19 years of age. 
"Estimated vaccine cost'', the estimated cost over the course of a fiscal year for the purchase, 
storage and distribution of vaccines for all children in the commonwealth. 
“Payments subject to surcharge'', as defined in section 64 of chapter 118E. 
"Routine  childhood immunizations'', immunizations for children until their nineteenth birthday 
including:  (i) the immunizations recommended by the federal Vaccines for Children Program, 
and (ii)  any immunizations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 
of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
“Surcharge payors'', those entities defined as surcharge payors pursuant to section 64 of chapter 
118E, who made payments subject to surcharge in the amount of $1,000,000 or more during the 
most recent period for which data is available on July 1 of the current fiscal year. 
"Total non-federal program cost'', the estimated annual cost of vaccines needed for routine 
childhood immunizations  for children covered by surcharge payors in the commonwealth less the 
amount of federal revenue available  to the commonwealth for purchase, storage, distribution and 
administration of the vaccines. 
(b) There shall be established in the commonwealth a separate trust fund to be known as the 
Vaccine Purchase Trust Fund to support a universal purchase system for routine childhood 
immunizations in the commonwealth. The fund shall be expended to cover the costs to purchase, 
store and distribute vaccines for routine childhood immunizations and to administer the fund and 
the immunization  registry, established pursuant to section 24M. The fund shall consist of all 
monies paid to the commonwealth under subsection (d) and any interest earnings on such monies. 
The fund shall be maintained  by the commissioner of public health or a designee. The monies 
shall be expended under the direction of the department of public health, without prior 
appropriation, solely to cover total non-federal program costs; provided, however, that the 
amount to be expended for storing and distributing vaccines for routine childhood immunizations, 
if such costs are not covered by federal contribution, and for the costs of administering the 
immunization  registry, shall not exceed 10 per cent of the total amount of the fund expended for 
the purchase of vaccines needed for routine childhood immunizations for all  children in the 
commonwealth. The department may incur expenses and the comptroller may certify for payment 
amounts in anticipation  of the most recent estimate of expected receipts, as certified by the 
secretary of administration and finance; provided, however, that no expenditure shall be made 
from the fund which shall cause the fund to be in deficit at the close of a fiscal year. Any balance 
in the fund at the close of a fiscal year shall be available  for expenditure in subsequent fiscal 
years and shall not be transferred to any other fund or revert to the General Fund. The 
commissioner of public health or a designee shall  annually report the amount of funds collected 
and any expenditures made from the fund to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate 
to be forwarded on to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the house and senate 
chairs of the joint committee on public health and the house and senate chairs of the joint 
committee on health care financing. 

(c) There shall be a vaccine program advisory council consisting of the commissioner of public 
health or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the medical director of the universal immunization 
program of the department of public health established under section 24I; the executive director 
for the center for health information and