SP0661, LD 1884, item 1, An Act To Revise the Laws Regarding the Fund for a Healthy Maine

An Act To Revise the Laws Regarding the Fund for a Healthy Maine

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§47-I is enacted to read:

47-I.

Human Services: Public Health

Fund for a Healthy Maine Study Commission

Legislative Per Diem and Expenses for Legislators and Expenses Only for Other Members

22 MRSA §1513

Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §1511, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 401, Pt. V, §1, is amended to read:

1. Fund established. The Fund for a Healthy Maine, referred to in this chapter as the "fund," is established as an Other Special Revenue fund for the purposes specified in this chapter as a separate and distinct fund for accounting and budgetary reporting purposes.

Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §1511, sub-§§13 and 14 are enacted to read:

13. Separate accounts; annual reporting. A state agency that receives allocations from the fund and a contractor or vendor that receives funding allocated from the fund shall maintain that money in a separate account and shall report by September 1st of each year to the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services providing a description of how those funds for the prior state fiscal year were targeted to the prevention and health-related purposes listed in subsection 6. The Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services shall by October 1st of each year compile the reports provided under this subsection and forward the information in a report to the Legislature.

14. Legislative committee review of legislation. Whenever a proposal in a resolve or bill before the Legislature, including but not limited to a budget bill, affects the fund, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over the proposal shall hold a public hearing and determine the level of support for the proposal among members of the committee. If there is support for the proposal among a majority of the members of the committee, the committee shall request the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters to review and evaluate the proposal as it pertains to the fund. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters shall conduct the review and report to the committee of jurisdiction and to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs.

Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §1513 is enacted to read:

§ 1513. Periodic study commission review

Beginning in 2015 and every 4 years thereafter, the Legislature shall establish a Fund for a Healthy Maine study commission, referred to in this section as "the commission," to review allocations of the fund and to report by December 7th of the year in which the commission is established to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters.

1. Commission membership. The commission consists of 13 members appointed as follows.

A. The President of the Senate shall appoint:

(1) Three members of the Senate, at least one belonging to the political party holding the largest number of seats in the Senate and at least one belonging to the political party holding the 2nd largest number of seats in the Senate. At least one of the appointees must serve on the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and at least one of the appointees must serve on the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters;

(2) One person representing municipal public health departments; and

(3) One person representing a major voluntary nonprofit health organization.

B. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint:

(1) Four members of the House of Representatives, at least one belonging to the political party holding the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives and at least one belonging to the political party holding the 2nd largest number of seats in the House of Representatives. At least one of the appointees must serve on the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and at least one of the appointees must serve on the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters;

(2) One person representing a statewide organization of public health professionals;

(3) One person representing a public health organization or agency operating in a rural community;

(4) One person representing an organization providing services supported by funds from the fund; and

(5) One person who possesses expertise regarding the fund and allocations from the fund.

2. Chairs. The first-named Senate member is the Senate chair and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair of the commission.

3. Appointments; convening of commission. All appointments must be made no later than June 1st in the year in which the study is being performed. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have been made. The chairs of the commission shall call and convene the first meeting of the commission within 15 days of notification that all appointments have been made. After the report under this section has been completed, the commission disbands and new members are appointed 4 years later.

4. Meetings. The commission may meet only when the Legislature is not in regular or special session. The commission is authorized to meet up to 6 times to accomplish its duties under subsection 5.

5. Duties. The commission shall review the alignment of allocations from the fund with the State's current public health care and preventive health priorities and goals. The commission shall gather information and data from public and private entities as necessary to:

A. Identify or review the State's current public health care and preventive health priorities and goals;

B. Identify or review strategies for addressing priorities and goals and the potential effectiveness of those strategies;

C. Assess the level of resources needed to properly pursue the strategies identified in paragraph B;

D. Make recommendations for how funds from the fund should be allocated to most effectively support the State's current public health and preventive health priorities, goals and strategies; and

E. Make recommendations for processes to be used to ensure that fund allocations stay aligned with the State's health priorities and goals.

6. Cooperation. The commissioner, the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services, the Commissioner of Education and the Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the department shall provide information and data to the commission as necessary for its work.

7. Staff assistance. The Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to the commission.

Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

Information Services 0155

Initiative: Provides one-time funds for the computer programming costs associated with establishing the Fund for a Healthy Maine as a separate fund.

GENERAL FUND 2011-12 2012-13

All Other
$0 $131,028

inline graphic sline.gif

GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $131,028

summary

This bill, which is based on recommendations from the Commission To Study Allocations of the Fund for a Healthy Maine, proposes changes to the Fund for a Healthy Maine. The bill changes the Fund for a Healthy Maine from an Other Special Revenue Funds account to a separate fund. It requires an annual report on targeted uses of fund money to the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services and provides for an annual report to the Legislature. It places in law review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters of legislative proposals affecting the fund that are currently in effect through Joint Rule 317. It requires the Legislature to establish a study commission to review allocations of the fund every 4 years in the same manner in which those allocations were reviewed in 2011 and to report with recommendations to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters.

SP0661 LD 1884	Second Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature		LR 2738 Item 1
	Bill Tracking, Additional Documents	Chamber Status

Bill Tracking		Chamber Status
Amendments	Testimony, Public Hearings & Work Sessions		Committee Information
Other Documents			Title & Section

Search Bill Text		Search Bill Status
Bill Directory	Session Information		Legislative Information
Download MS-Word, Printed PDF		Maine Legislature

Office of Legislative Information 100 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333		voice: (207) 287-1692 fax: (207) 287-1580 tty: (207) 287-6826
Word Viewer for Windows		Disclaimer

GENERAL FUND	2011-12	2012-13
All Other	$0	$131,028

GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$0	$131,028