PRINTER'S NO. 3409
No. 457 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY COY, BELFANTI, LEDERER, DeWEESE, WALKO, LEH,
SANTONI, YUDICHAK, DERMODY, LAUGHLIN, ROONEY, SOLOBAY,
DeLUCA, KIRKLAND, McCALL, G. WRIGHT, STURLA, JOSEPHS,
PISTELLA, WOJNAROSKI, BROWNE, JAMES, PETRARCA, WATERS, CURRY,
PALLONE, CAPPELLI, TANGRETTI, D. EVANS, MANDERINO, SHANER,
BEBKO-JONES, FRANKEL, MANN, YOUNGBLOOD, BELARDI, GEORGE,
READSHAW, STABACK, BISHOP, GRUCELA, McGEEHAN, SURRA, DALEY,
HARHAI, MELIO, STETLER, CALTAGIRONE, MICHLOVIC, VEON, CAWLEY,
TRICH, M. COHEN, THOMAS, MUNDY, COSTA, TRAVAGLIO, MYERS,
WANSACZ, CORRIGAN, TRELLO AND TIGUE, MARCH 13, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 13, 2002
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Reaffirming the intent of the General Assembly that all funds
2 received by this Commonwealth under the terms of the tobacco
3 Master Settlement Agreement shall be used only for health-
4 related purposes and programs specified by the act of June
5 26, 2001 (P.L.755, No.77), known as the Tobacco Settlement
6 Act, and any amendments thereto.
7 WHEREAS, The Tobacco Settlement Act established in law a
8 process whereby all moneys received by this Commonwealth under
9 the terms of the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement would be
10 deposited in certain funds and accounts separate and apart from
11 the General Fund; and
12 WHEREAS, The Tobacco Settlement Act also provided that all
13 future moneys received by this Commonwealth pursuant to the
14 Master Settlement Agreement would be allocated to various
15 health-related purposes and programs specified in the Tobacco
16 Settlement Act; and
1 WHEREAS, One of the programs specified by the General
2 Assembly in the Tobacco Settlement Act was a new adult basic
3 coverage health insurance program for low-income adults; and
4 WHEREAS, The General Assembly appropriated $77.738 million
5 from the Tobacco Settlement Fund for the purpose of providing
6 low-cost health insurance to low-income adults in fiscal year
7 2001-2002; and
8 WHEREAS, An estimated 120,000 Pennsylvanians have lost their
9 jobs since the current economic recession began in March of
10 2001; and
11 WHEREAS, The vast majority of unemployed workers are unable
12 to afford health insurance for themselves and their families;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, The Insurance Department has not entered into the
15 necessary contracts with insurers to allow low-income adults to
16 receive affordable health coverage; and
17 WHEREAS, The Tobacco Settlement Act provides that any funds
18 remaining unexpended in the adult basic coverage insurance
19 program at the end of any fiscal year shall be available for the
20 same purpose in the succeeding fiscal year; therefore be it
21 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
22 intends that all amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2001-2002
23 for the purpose of providing adult basic health insurance to
24 low-income adults which have not been expended, encumbered or
25 otherwise committed for that purpose prior to July 1, 2002,
26 shall be used to increase the number of low-income
27 Pennsylvanians who can receive coverage by the Commonwealth's
28 health insurance programs; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That any such amounts remaining at the end of
30 fiscal year 2001-2002 shall not be permitted to lapse into the
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1 General Fund nor be used for any purpose not specified in the
2 Tobacco Settlement Act or any amendments thereto; and be it
3 further
4 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
5 the Governor and the Insurance Department.
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