07 LC 28
3503
House
Resolution 350
By:
Representatives Harbin of the
118th,
Butler of the
18th,
Ehrhart of the
36th,
Stephens of the
164th,
Parrish of the
156th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Joint Study Committee on the State Health System; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
Georgia has a rich personal and public health heritage, the latter dating to the
founding years of the Georgia colony; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia wishes to continue that heritage by strengthening the state´s
health infrastructure from health professional education through quality
personal and public health services available to all citizens; and
WHEREAS,
the Georgia health system must respond to new and serious national health
emergencies, a growing population, the threat of infectious pandemics and new
infectious diseases, environmental hazards, increasing numbers of uninsured
persons, decreased funding from all sources, and dangerously significant
variations in core public health protection and access to services between
counties and regions; and
WHEREAS,
the delivery of behavioral health and developmental services to those
individuals with serious disabling conditions is an essential component of any
state health system; and
WHEREAS,
the mission of advancing and protecting the health of the public can most
efficiently and effectively be addressed through a collaborative process
involving representatives of state, county, and community health agencies;
private health professionals, hospitals, and health facilities; emergency
management and homeland security; the Georgia Municipal Association; the
Association County Commissioners of Georgia; and foundations and other groups
focused on improving health; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia´s health system is fragmented in that certain health functions,
including public health and mental health, developmental disabilities, and
addictive diseases, are assigned to the Department of Human Resources and the
administration of the Medicaid program and certain other health functions are
assigned to the Department of Community Health.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that there is
created the Joint Study Committee on the State Health System to be composed of
five members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives and five members of the Senate to be appointed by
the Lieutenant Governor. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
designate a member of the House and the Lieutenant Governor shall designate a
member of the Senate who shall serve as cochairpersons of the committee. The
committee shall meet at the call of the cochairpersons.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems of the state health system and its
infrastructure and recommend any actions or legislation that the committee deems
necessary or appropriate. The committee shall hear from experts and key
leaders from various health areas including, but not limited to, public health
and mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases, 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 five 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 and the Senate. Additional funding may be sought from
foundations desiring to support the work of the committee. Foundations and
other organizations may assist the committee in ways approved by the committee
including, but not limited to, sponsoring public hearings on certain health
issues and providing white papers. 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, 2007.
The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2007.