PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 3357, 3578 PRINTER'S NO. 3584
No. 419 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY O'BRIEN, E. Z. TAYLOR, GLADECK, FICHTER, TRICH,
BROWNE, COY, CAPPABIANCA, PESCI, HERMAN, CALTAGIRONE, ORIE,
MAITLAND, READSHAW, LAUGHLIN, KIRKLAND, BELARDI, BATTISTO,
OLASZ, HALUSKA, HORSEY, WALKO, TRELLO, STABACK, JOSEPHS,
YOUNGBLOOD, CIVERA, SEYFERT, JAMES, HERSHEY, RAMOS,
J. TAYLOR, MAHER AND SAYLOR, APRIL 1, 1998
AS AMENDED, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MAY 6, 1998
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to create a
2 working group comprised of individuals with expertise in
3 biomedical research, health care, economic development and
4 higher education to assess the level and nature of biomedical
5 research currently conducted by the Commonwealth's
6 universities and teaching hospitals and to recommend specific
7 and realistic actions for increasing Pennsylvania's share of
8 Federal and private sector biomedical research funding to
9 enhance the Commonwealth's health care system as well as
10 contribute to the economy.
11 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's academic institutions are recognized
12 as leaders in identifying and researching public health problems
13 and developing treatments necessary to improve the quality of
14 health care; and
15 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's institutions of higher learning and
16 biomedical companies are drawing more than $681 million in
17 fiscal year 1997-98 from the National Institutes of Health for
18 biomedical research; and
19 WHEREAS, Biomedical research initiatives are vital to
20 maintaining the quality and strength of Pennsylvania's health
1 care system; and
2 WHEREAS, The health care industry, including research and
3 teaching hospitals, plays a vital role in Pennsylvania's
4 economy, employing more than 550,000 people; and
5 WHEREAS, Recent downsizing trends in the Commonwealth's
6 hospitals have resulted in the displacement of more than 2,000
7 health care workers; and
8 WHEREAS, The Executive Branch and General Assembly have
9 aggressively undertaken economic development and job creation
10 initiatives; and
11 WHEREAS, Academic biomedical research results in a more
12 vigorous biomedical industry with the development of new
13 procedures and medications; and
14 WHEREAS, An increased supply of Federal and private funding
15 would support current research efforts to enhance the quality of
16 health care and would contribute to the economic development of
17 this Commonwealth through job creation; therefore be it
18 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the House of
19 Representatives direct the Joint State Government Commission to
20 select a working group to report on the level and nature of
21 biomedical research currently conducted by Pennsylvania's
22 universities and teaching hospitals and how those efforts
23 compare to the efforts of other states; and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That the final report recommend ways for the
25 Commonwealth to encourage the growth of biomedical research; and
26 be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the final report also include specific and
28 realistic recommendations for increasing Pennsylvania's share of
29 Federal and private sector biomedical research funding to
30 enhance the Commonwealth's health care system and contribute to
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1 the economy; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That the working group selected by the Joint State
3 Government Commission consist of the presidents or a designee of
4 the following institutions: the Pennsylvania Chamber of
5 Business and Industry, The Hospital and Health System
6 Association of Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania State University
7 School of Medicine and the Hershey Medical Center, University of
8 Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center System,
9 Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pennsylvania
10 Health System, Thomas Jefferson University, Allegheny University
11 of Health Services, Temple University School of Medicine and
12 Temple University Health System, Shriners Hospitals for Children
13 in Philadelphia and Erie, St. Christopher's Hospital for
14 Children, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia AND THE <--
15 PRESIDENT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA AFL-CIO SHALL APPOINT TWO MEMBERS;
16 and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That the President pro tempore of the Senate, the
18 Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of
19 the Senate and the Minority Leader of the House of
20 Representatives shall each appoint two at-large commission
21 members, and the minority chairman of the Public Health and
22 Welfare Committee of the Senate and the minority chairman of the
23 Health and Human Service Committee of the House of
24 Representatives shall each appoint one at-large member, and the
25 chairman of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and
26 the chairman of the House of Representatives Health and Human
27 Services Committee shall each appoint one at-large commission
28 member; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the working group report its findings and
30 recommendations to the General Assembly as soon as possible.
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