Resolve, To Study Allocations of the Fund for a Healthy Maine

Sec. 1. Commission established. Resolved: That the Commission To Study Allocations of the Fund for a Healthy Maine, referred to in this resolve as "the commission," is established; and be it further

Sec. 2. Commission membership. Resolved: That the commission consists of no more than 13 members appointed as follows:

1. The President of the Senate shall:

2. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall:

Sec. 3. Chairs. Resolved: That the first-named Senate member is the Senate chair and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair of the commission; and be it further

Sec. 4. Appointments; convening of commission. Resolved: That all appointments must be made no later than 10 days following the effective date of this resolve. 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 the effective date of this resolve. If a majority of but not all appointments have been made within 10 days of the effective date of this resolve, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant authority for the commission to meet and conduct its business; and be it further

Sec. 5. Meetings. Resolved: That 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; and be it further

Sec. 6. Duties. Resolved: That the commission shall review the alignment of allocations from the Fund for a Healthy Maine, established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 1511, 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:

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

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

3. Assess the level of resources needed to properly pursue the strategies identified in subsection 2;

4. Make recommendations for how Fund for a Healthy Maine funds should be allocated among existing and new programs to most effectively support the State's current public health and preventive health priorities, goals and strategies; and

5. Make recommendations for processes to be used to ensure that Fund for a Healthy Maine allocations stay aligned with the State's health priorities and goals; and be it further

Sec. 7. Staff assistance. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to the commission; and be it further

Sec. 8. Report. Resolved: That, no later than December 7, 2011, the commission shall submit a report that includes its findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. The committees may submit legislation based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature.

summary

This resolve implements one recommendation for legislative action found in the report on Fund for a Healthy Maine programs submitted by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability in October 2009. The original allocations from the fund to various health efforts were established more than 10 years ago and have remained relatively consistent. This resolve establishes a commission tasked with reviewing whether allocations of the fund are properly aligned with the State's current public and preventive health priorities, strategies and goals and recommending adjustments to allocations as necessary.