PRINTER'S NO. 1749
No. 166 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY MELLOW, TARTAGLIONE, LOGAN, WAGNER, WOZNIAK,
MUSTO, STACK, FUMO, STOUT AND KUKOVICH, FEBRUARY 19, 2002
REFERRED TO APPROPRIATIONS, FEBRUARY 19, 2002
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Reaffirming the intent of the General Assembly that all funds
2 received by the 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 Tobacco
5 Settlement Act.
6 WHEREAS, The act of June 26, 2001 (P.L.755, No.77), known as
7 the Tobacco Settlement Act, established in law a process whereby
8 all moneys received by the Commonwealth under the terms of the
9 tobacco master settlement agreement would be deposited in
10 certain funds and accounts separate and apart from the General
11 Fund; and
12 WHEREAS, The Tobacco Settlement Act also provided that all
13 future moneys received by the 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
17 WHEREAS, One of the programs specified by the General
18 Assembly in the Tobacco Settlement Act was a new adult basic
19 coverage health insurance program for low-income adults; and
1 WHEREAS, The General Assembly appropriated $77.738 million
2 dollars from the Tobacco Settlement Fund for the purpose of
3 providing low-cost health insurance to low-income adults in
4 fiscal year 2001-2002; and
5 WHEREAS, An estimated 120,000 Pennsylvanians have lost their
6 jobs since the current economic recession began in March 2001;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, The vast majority of unemployed workers are unable
9 to afford health insurance for themselves and their families;
10 and
11 WHEREAS, The Insurance Department has not entered into the
12 necessary contracts with insurers to allow low-income adults to
13 receive affordable health coverage; and
14 WHEREAS, The Tobacco Settlement Act provides that any funds
15 remaining unexpended in the adult basic coverage insurance
16 program at the end of any fiscal year shall be available for the
17 same purpose in the succeeding fiscal year; therefore be it
18 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
19 General Assembly reaffirm its intent that all amounts
20 appropriated for fiscal year 2001-2002 for the purpose of
21 providing adult basic health insurance to low-income adults
22 which have not been expended, encumbered or otherwise committed
23 for that purpose prior to July 1, 2002, shall be used to enlarge
24 the number of low-income Pennsylvanians who can receive coverage
25 under the Commonwealth's health insurance program; and be it
26 further
27 RESOLVED, That any such amounts remaining at the end of
28 fiscal year 2001-2002 shall not be permitted to lapse into the
29 General Fund nor be used for any purpose not specified in the
30 Tobacco Settlement Act; and be it further
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1 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
2 the Governor and the Insurance Department.
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