Chapter 307
2006 -- S 3172
SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/04/06
A N A C T
THE
RHODE ISLAND HEALTH CARE AFFORDABILITY ACT OF 2006 - PART V
Introduced By: Senators Tassoni, Perry, Roberts, and
Gibbs
Date
Introduced: June 15, 2006
It is enacted by the General Assembly as
follows:
WHEREAS, On April 12, 2006, landmark legislation was enacted in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts that would provide nearly universal health care
coverage to Massachusetts’ residents; and
WHEREAS, The states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island share the advantages of a
high
percentage of employers offering employee health benefits and expanded Medicaid
programs;
and
WHEREAS, The states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island each have lower
percentages of uninsured persons than the national average; and
WHEREAS, Health care costs continue to rise at rates significantly outpacing
wage
increases;
and
WHEREAS, These cost increases have led to reduced employer profits, increased
employee
expenses, and more persons who are without health insurance coverage; and
WHEREAS, The Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan combines features of
individual
responsibility with government subsidies, and crossing traditional ideological
boundaries;
now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and
Providence Plantations hereby strongly believes that a thorough study of the
applicability of the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan to Rhode Island is
necessary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a special Task Force on Health Care Reform be and the same is
hereby
created consisting of nineteen (19) members: three (3) of whom shall be members
of the House of Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political
party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; three (3) of whom shall be
members of the Senate, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to
be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the
Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island, who shall be chair; one of
whom shall be the Director of the Department of Health, or designee; one of
whom shall be the Director of the Department of Human Services, or designee;
one of whom shall be the Rhode Island Health Insurance Commissioner, or
designee; three (3) of whom shall be members of the public,
one
of whom shall be a Rhode Island Business owner and one (1) of whom shall be a
representative
of organized labor and one (1) of whom shall be a consumer, to be appointed by the
Governor; three (3) of whom shall be members of the public, one (1) of whom
shall be a Rhode Island Business owner and one (1) of whom shall be a
representative of organized labor and one (1) of whom shall be a consumer, to
be appointed by the President of the Senate; three
(3)
of whom shall be members of the public, one of whom shall be a Rhode Island
Business
owner
one (1) of whom shall be a representative of organized labor and one of whom
shall be a
consumer,
to be appointed by the Speaker of the House.
In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a task force,
permanent
advisory
commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a
General
Assembly
resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public
to
serve
in lieu of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority
leader of the political
party
which is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member
of the
general
public.
The purpose of said task force shall be to make a comprehensive study of the
Massachusetts
Health Care Reform Plan and its potential applicability to the State of Rhode
Island.
On November 15, 2006, or immediately thereafter, the members of the task force
shall
meet
at the call of the General Assembly and organize. Vacancies in said task force
shall be
filled
in like manner as the original appointment.
The membership of said task force shall receive no compensation for their
services.
All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and
information,
documentary
and otherwise, to said task force and its agents as is deemed necessary or
desirable
by
the task force to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.
The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed
to provide
suitable
quarters for said task force; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the task force shall report its findings and recommendations to
the
General
Assembly no later than June 5, 2007 and said task force shall expire on August
5, 2007.
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LC03467/SUB
A
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