08 HR
1625/FA
House
Resolution 1625 (AM)
By:
Representatives Lunsford of the
110th,
Cooper of the
41st,
Mosby of the
90th,
Ashe of the
56th,
Graves of the
12th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
To
create the House Hospital Tax and Indigent Care Study Committee; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
nonprofit hospitals in this state receive certain tax incentives and benefits
that are economically advantageous; and
WHEREAS,
many of these hospitals, however, provide only minimum amounts of indigent care
to assist the people of this state despite these favorable tax provisions;
and
WHEREAS,
many of these same hospitals have failed and refused to participate in the
treatment of state Medicaid recipients; and
WHEREAS,
many of these hospitals that refuse to assist in the care of indigent persons in
any meaningful amounts are compensating their executives with extremely generous
salaries and benefits; and
WHEREAS,
there is a need to review the policies of for profit and nonprofit hospitals in
this state concerning the provision of care to medicare and Medicaid patients,
indigent care patients, and charity care patients; and
WHEREAS,
there is a need to review the tax benefits provided to hospitals in this state
to determine if reasonable levels of care for medicare and Medicaid patients,
indigent care patients, and charity care patients should be a prerequisite for
obtaining tax incentives and benefits.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that there is created
the House Hospital Tax and Indigent Care Study Committee to be composed of six
members of the House appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The Speaker shall designate one of the members of the committee to serve as
chairperson of the committee. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the
committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
recommend any actions or legislation that the committee deems necessary or
appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such
times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and
effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and
purposes of this resolution. The members of the committee shall receive the
allowances authorized for legislative members of interim legislative committees
but shall receive the same for not more than three days unless additional days
are authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this
resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of
Representatives. In the event that the committee makes a report of its findings
and recommendations with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such
report shall be made on or before December 31, 2008. The committee shall stand
abolished on December 31, 2008.