NC H579

Appropriates $8,000,000 in recurring funds for fiscal year 2019-2020 and $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2020-2021 to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health for local communicable disease programs.

Allocates funds to local health departments with $4,000,000 divided equally among all departments and $4,000,000 allocated based on percentage of state population served by each department for each fiscal year.

Requires local health departments to use allocated funds to supplement existing surveillance, detection, control, and prevention infrastructure and activities for communicable diseases.

Addresses increased communicable disease cases (200% increase over ten years) by providing state funding to reduce burden on local governments, which previously covered 95% of the $20,600,000 in annual communicable disease control costs.

Becomes effective July 1, 2019.