PRINTER'S NO. 1809

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No. 188 Session of 1999

        INTRODUCED BY DeLUCA, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BROWNE, CIVERA,
           M. COHEN, COLAFELLA, CORRIGAN, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GIGLIOTTI,
           HERSHEY, LAUGHLIN, MARKOSEK, MELIO, ORIE, PESCI, PISTELLA,
           READSHAW, ROBINSON, SOLOBAY, STEVENSON, TIGUE, TRELLO, WALKO,
           WASHINGTON AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 12, 1999

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MAY 12, 1999

                                  A RESOLUTION

     1  Memorializing the Governor to allocate a portion of
     2     Pennsylvania's share of the proceeds from the tobacco
     3     industry litigation settlement to establish and fund a
     4     compact with other states participating in the tobacco
     5     industry litigation settlement utilizing their settlement
     6     proceeds to fund cancer research grants.

     7     WHEREAS, Tobacco use causes an estimated one in five deaths
     8  in this Commonwealth annually; and
     9     WHEREAS, Tobacco use is the leading cause of death in the
    10  United States, claiming more lives than AIDS, car accidents,
    11  alcohol, homicides, illegal drugs, suicides and fire combined;
    12  and
    13     WHEREAS, The Commonwealth and 45 other states are on the
    14  brink of reaching a historic $11.2 billion litigation settlement
    15  with the tobacco industry that will carry over for the next 25
    16  years; and
    17     WHEREAS, Cancer research is an appropriate use for some of
    18  the proceeds from the tobacco industry litigation settlement,

     1  and such use would benefit the citizens of this Commonwealth;
     2  and
     3     WHEREAS, An effective system for the allocation of cancer
     4  research grants currently exists on the national level; and
     5     WHEREAS, Other states participating in the tobacco industry
     6  litigation settlement may share the Commonwealth's interest in
     7  advancing medical research for cancer; therefore be it
     8     RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize the
     9  Governor to allocate a portion of Pennsylvania's share of the
    10  proceeds from the tobacco industry litigation settlement to
    11  establish and fund a compact with the other states participating
    12  in the tobacco industry litigation settlement utilizing their
    13  settlement proceeds to fund cancer research grants; and be it
    14  further
    15     RESOLVED, That the research grants funded through that
    16  compact advance a valid scientific purpose and not be duplicated
    17  among the participating states; and be it further
    18     RESOLVED, That the process for allocating research grants be
    19  equitable in apportioning the funds to ensure that no state's
    20  share exceeds that state's contribution.







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