BILL NUMBER: SB 2132	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER   826
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 28, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 28, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   SEPTEMBER 1, 2000
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 1, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 31, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 25, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Dunn and Perata
   (Principal coauthors:  Senators Burton and Brulte)
   (Principal coauthors:  Assembly Members Baugh and Hertzberg)
   (Coauthor:  Assembly Member Shelley)

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2000

   An act relating to health services, making an appropriation
therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect
immediately.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 2132, Dunn.   County health services:  tobacco tax.
   The Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act of 1988 (Proposition 99)
was adopted by the voters at the general election held on November
8, 1988, imposing a tax on the distribution of cigarettes in addition
to the tax imposed pursuant to the Cigarette Tax Law as of the
effective date of the adoption of Proposition 99, and imposing a tax
on the distribution of certain tobacco products pursuant to a
specified formula.  Existing law provides for the establishment of
the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund, containing certain
accounts, including the Hospital Services Account, the Physician
Services Account, the Health Education Account, the Research Account,
the Public Resources Account, and the Unallocated Account, and
requiring that money in those accounts be used for specified
purposes.
   This bill would appropriate $24,803,000 from the fund for the
2000-01 fiscal year, and would provide for the allocation of
$22,324,000 of that amount through the California Healthcare for
Indigents Program (CHIP) and $2,479,000 of that amount through the
Rural Health Services (RHS) program.  The bill would limit the use of
those funds to the reimbursement of uncompensated hospital emergency
services.
   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
   Appropriation:  yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  (a) The sum of twenty-four million eight hundred three
thousand dollars ($24,803,000) is appropriated from the Cigarette and
Tobacco Products Surtax Fund for allocation for the 2000-01 fiscal
year from the following accounts:
   (1) Nine million fifteen thousand dollars ($9,015,000) from the
Hospital Services Account.
   (2) Two million three hundred twenty-eight thousand dollars
($2,328,000) from the Physician Services Account.
   (3) Thirteen million four hundred sixty thousand dollars
($13,460,000) from the Unallocated Account.
   (b) Funds appropriated pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
allocated proportionately as follows:
   (1) Twenty-two million three hundred twenty-four thousand dollars
($22,324,000) shall be administered and allocated for distribution
through the California Healthcare for Indigents Program (CHIP),
Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 16940) of Part 4.7 of Division 9
of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as provided in this act.
   (2) Two million four hundred seventy-nine thousand dollars
($2,479,000) shall be administered and allocated through the Rural
Health Services (RHS) program, Chapter 4 (commencing with Section
16930) of Part 4.7 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, as provided in this act.
   (c) Funds appropriated by this act from the Physician Services
Account and the Unallocated Account in the Cigarette and Tobacco
Product Surtax Fund shall be used only for the reimbursement of
uncompensated emergency services as defined in Section 16953 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.  Funds shall be transferred to the
Physician Services Account in the county Emergency Medical Services
Fund established pursuant to Sections 16951 and 16952 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code.
   (d) Funds appropriated by this act from the Hospital Services
Account in the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund shall be
used only for reimbursement of uncompensated emergency services, as
defined in Section 16953 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
provided in general acute care hospitals providing basic,
comprehensive, or standby emergency services.  Reimbursement for
emergency services shall be consistent with the provisions of Section
16952 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
  SEC. 2.  This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect.  The facts constituting the necessity are:
   There is a well documented crisis in emergency medicine in
California, including the closing of hospital emergency departments
and the unavailability of on-call physician specialists to backup
emergency physicians in hospital emergency departments.  One of the
causes of this crisis is a lack of funding for uninsured patients.
In order that Proposition 99 funds may be allocated to emergency and
on-call physicians as soon as possible, and help alleviate the crisis
in emergency medicine, it is necessary that this act take effect
immediately.