BILL REQ. #:  H-3093.1 

Read first time 04/14/2005.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to funding for public health improvement; amending RCW 43.79.480; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that protecting the public's health is essential and that the threat of a pandemic outbreak of a disease is ongoing and growing. The legislature also finds that the public health system as defined in RCW 43.70.575 is essential to fulfilling the state's responsibility to protect the health and safety of its citizens. The legislature further finds that local public health departments lack adequate resources even as their duties increase. Rather than risk catastrophic loss of life, the legislature further finds that local public health departments must immediately be given the resources to effectively implement the specific public health improvement standards concerning threats to our drinking water and food supplies, communicable disease, and other first-responder duties unique to local public health departments, pursuant to the requirements in RCW 43.70.520.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:
     The public health improvement account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from strategic contribution payments received by the state of Washington in accordance with the settlement of the state's legal action against tobacco product manufacturers shall be deposited in the account. The legislature may make additional appropriations to the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used to fund programs and activities undertaken by the department of health, county public health departments, and public health districts to achieve the local public health standards adopted in the public health services improvement plan pursuant to RCW 43.70.520(8).

Sec. 3   RCW 43.79.480 and 2002 c 365 s 15 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Moneys received by the state of Washington in accordance with the settlement of the state's legal action against tobacco product manufacturers, exclusive of costs and attorneys' fees, shall be deposited in the tobacco settlement account created in this section except as these moneys are sold or assigned under chapter 43.340 RCW.
     (2) The tobacco settlement account is created in the state treasury. Moneys in the tobacco settlement account may only be transferred to the health services account for the purposes set forth in RCW 43.72.900, ((and)) to the tobacco prevention and control account for purposes set forth in this section, and to the public health improvement account established under section 2 of this act.
     (3) The tobacco prevention and control account is created in the state treasury. The source of revenue for this account is moneys transferred to the account from the tobacco settlement account, investment earnings, donations to the account, and other revenues as directed by law. Expenditures from the account are subject to appropriation.