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SENATE BILL NO. 65

INTRODUCED BY J. COBB

BY REQUEST OF THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE


AN ACT PROVIDING THAT APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE HEALTH AND MEDICAID INITIATIVES ACCOUNT MAY NOT BE INCREASED BY PROGRAM TRANSFERS FROM OTHER STATE SPECIAL REVENUE ACCOUNTS; AMENDING SECTION 53-6-1201, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

 

AN ACT PROVIDING THAT APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE HEALTH AND MEDICAID INITIATIVES ACCOUNT MAY NOT BE INCREASED BY PROGRAM TRANSFERS FROM OTHER STATE SPECIAL REVENUE ACCOUNTS; AMENDING SECTION 53-6-1201, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

 

     Section 1.  Section 53-6-1201, MCA, is amended to read:

     "53-6-1201.  Special revenue fund -- health and medicaid initiatives. (1) There is a health and medicaid initiatives account in the state special revenue fund established by 17-2-102. This account is to be administered by the department of public health and human services.

     (2)  There must be deposited in the account:

     (a)  money from cigarette taxes deposited under 16-11-119(1)(c);

     (b)  money from taxes on tobacco products other than cigarettes deposited under 16-11-119(3)(b); and

     (c)  any interest and income earned on the account.

     (3)  This account may be used only to provide funding for:

     (a)  the state funds necessary to take full advantage of available federal matching funds in order to maximize enrollment of eligible children under the children's health insurance program, provided for under Title 53, chapter 4, part 10, and to provide outreach to the eligible children. The increased revenue in this account is intended to increase enrollment rates for eligible children in the program and not to be used to support existing levels of enrollment based upon appropriations for the biennium ending June 30, 2005.

     (b)  a new need-based prescription drug program established by the legislature for children, seniors, chronically ill, and disabled persons that does not supplant similar services provided under any existing program;

     (c)  increased medicaid services and medicaid provider rates. The increased revenue is intended to increase medicaid services and medicaid provider rates and not to supplant the general fund in the trended traditional level of appropriation for medicaid services and medicaid provider rates.

     (d)  an offset to loss of revenue to the general fund as a result of new tax credits;

     (e)  to fund new programs to assist eligible small employers with the costs of providing health insurance benefits to eligible employees;

     (f)  the cost of administering the tax credit, the purchasing pool, and the premium incentive payments and premium assistance payments as provided in Title 33, chapter 22, part 20; and

     (g)  to provide providing a state match for the medicaid program for premium incentive payments or premium assistance payments to the extent that a waiver is granted by federal law as provided in 53-2-216.

     (4)  (a) Except for $1 million appropriated for the startup costs of 53-6-1004 and 53-6-1005, the money appropriated for fiscal year 2006 for the programs in subsections (3)(b) and (3)(d) through (3)(g) may not be expended until the office of budget and program planning has certified that $25 million has been deposited in the account provided for in this section or December 1, 2005, whichever occurs earlier.

     (b)(a)  On or before July 1, the budget director shall calculate a balance required to sustain each program in subsection (3) for each fiscal year of the biennium. If the budget director certifies that the reserve balance will be sufficient, then the agencies may expend the revenue for the programs as appropriated. If the budget director determines that the reserve balance of the revenue will not support the level of appropriation, the budget director shall notify each agency. Upon receipt of the notification, the agency shall adjust the operating budget for the program to reflect the available revenue as determined by the budget director.

     (c)(b)  Until the programs or credits described in subsections (3)(b) and (3)(d) through (3)(g) are established, the funding must be used exclusively for the purposes described in subsections (3)(a) and (3)(c).

     (5)  The phrase "trended traditional level of appropriation", as used in subsection (3)(c), means the appropriation amounts, including supplemental appropriations, as those amounts were set based on eligibility standards, services authorized, and payment amount during the past five biennial budgets.

     (6) Appropriations from the health and medicaid initiatives account may not be increased by program transfers from other state special revenue accounts pursuant to 17-7-139.

     (6)(7)  The department of public health and human services may adopt rules to implement this section."

 

     Section 2.  Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2007.

- END -

 


Latest Version of SB 65 (SB0065.ENR)
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