S.B. 121

1

ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND COVERAGE
2 TASK FORCE
3 2001 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson
6 This act creates the Access to Health Care and Coverage Task Force. The act specifies
7 membership, responsibilities, and reporting dates for the task force. The act appropriates
8 $37,000 from the General Fund for fiscal year 2000-01 to fund the task force and repeals the
9 task force on November 30, 2001.
10 This act enacts uncodified material.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
12 Section 1. Access to health care and coverage -- Findings -- Creation -- Membership
13 -- Quorum -- Compensation -- Staff.
14 (1) There is created the Access to Health Care and Coverage Task Force consisting of the
15 following nine members:
16 (a) three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
17 two of whom may be from the same political party;
18 (b) five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
19 of Representatives, no more than three of whom may be from the same political party; and
20 (c) the executive director of the Department of Health.
21 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
22 Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
23 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
24 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
25 (3) A majority of the members of the task force constitute a quorum. The action of a
26 majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the task force.
27 (4) (a) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force who are legislators shall be

28 paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
29 (b) A member of the task force who is not a legislator may not receive compensation for
30 their work associated with the task force, but may receive per diem and reimbursement for travel
31 expenses incurred as a member of the task force at the rates established by the Division of Finance
32 under Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .
33 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support to
34 the task force.
35 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
36 (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations on the following:
37 (a) options for improving health care coverage and access to primary care for Utah's
38 uninsured population. Consideration shall be given to options that:
39 (i) focus attention on those who are most in need;
40 (ii) strike an appropriate and effective balance between private and public sector
41 approaches; and
42 (iii) build on existing systems of proven effectiveness;
43 (b) the development of a process by which stakeholders in the health care system and other
44 interested parties can provide information to the Legislature regarding the work of the task force;
45 and
46 (c) the integration of information and analysis provided by the Department of Health, the
47 United States Health Care Financing Administration, the United States Office of Disease
48 Prevention and Health Promotion, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and other
49 relevant agencies regarding:
50 (i) the number of Utahns who are currently uninsured and who could obtain coverage
51 under each option;
52 (ii) federal waivers and other options available to states for expanding health coverage and
53 increasing access to primary care;
54 (iii) costs and potential savings associated with each option, and mechanisms for financing
55 each option;
56 (iv) the effect of each option on cost-shifting, uncompensated care, and existing programs
57 and systems;
58 (v) the expected outcomes and costs to individuals and the state of not expanding health

59 coverage and access to primary care; and
60 (vi) the state's progress in implementing the health care access goals of the Federal Healthy
61 People 2010 Program.
62 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation, shall be presented to the Health and
63 Human Services Interim Committee before November 30, 2001.
64 Section 3. Appropriation.
65 There is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 2000-01:
66 (1) $4,500 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the task
67 force;
68 (2) $7,500 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
69 representatives on the task force; and
70 (3) $25,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
71 the task force.
72 Section 4. Repeal date.
73 This act is repealed November 30, 2001.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-16-01 3:39 PM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel