COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

H. B. 3181

(By Delegates Ashley, Michael, Mezzatesta, Williams and Stemple)


(Originating in the Committee on Government Organization)


[February 15, 2002]


A BILL to amend and reenact sections one and two, article five-q, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended; and to further amend said article by adding thereto a new section, designated section three, all relating to the James "Tiger" Morton catastrophic illness fund; the composition, meetings, powers and duties of the catastrophic illness commission; executive director and staff; promulgation of rules; investigation of fraud and abuse; and continuation of the commission.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That sections one and two, article five-q, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that said article be further amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section three, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5Q. THE JAMES "TIGER" MORTON CATASTROPHIC ILLNESS FUND.
§16-5Q-1. Creation of the James "Tiger" Morton catastrophic illness fund.
There is hereby Moneys in the fund created in the state treasury, a fund designated the "James 'Tiger' Morton Catastrophic Illness Fund" Moneys in this fund shall be distributed in accordance with the provisions of this article. The purpose of this fund is to provide a source of economic assistance to the citizens of this state facing catastrophic illness. In addition to any funds appropriated by the Legislature, the Tiger Morton Fund may receive donations of cash or property from other sources, including gifts, grants, or donations from any source whatsoever. Provided, That expenditures may be made from this fund only upon appropriation by the Legislature After appropriation by the Legislature, the catastrophic illness commission may make expenditures from the fund as necessary to accomplish the purposes of this article.
§16-5Q-2. Catastrophic illness commission; composition; meetings.
(a) There is hereby created The catastrophic illness commission The catastrophic illness commission shall be composed consist of the ombudsman from the department of health and human resources, six members appointed for terms of five years by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and the ombudsman from the department of health and human resources, who shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member. One member must be a medical doctor licensed to practice medicine in this state, one member must be an attorney licensed to practice law in this state, two members must be from the public at large who are active in community affairs, one member must be a nurse licensed to practice in this state, and one member must be a social worker licensed in this state. The governor shall appoint the members to the catastrophic illness commission no later than the thirty-first day of August, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, and the commission shall hold its first meeting no later than the last day of September, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine. The term of office for each member of the catastrophic illness commission is five years, except for The terms of office of the first appointments to the catastrophic illness commission shall be as follows: The medical doctor and attorney shall be appointed for an initial term of three years; the initial term of the nurse appointee and the licensed social worker appointee shall be four years; the initial term of the remaining members of the commission appointed by the governor shall be five years. No more than five of the members appointed by the governor may be from the same political party. Members of the catastrophic illness commission, may other than the ex officio member, are entitled to receive expenses only up to one hundred twenty-five dollars per day, not to exceed fifteen thousand dollars in the aggregate per year. and The commission shall meet at least quarterly and annually elect a chairperson. Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of article nine-a, chapter six of this code. Special meetings may be called. Before discharging any duties, members shall comply with the oath or affirmation requirements of article one, chapter six of this code. Members are subject to the ethical standards and financial disclosure requirements of the West Virginia Governmental Ethics Act in chapter six-b of this code and serve at the will and pleasure of the governor as provided in section four, article six, chapter six of this code.
(b) The purpose of the catastrophic illness commission is to shall make an annual recommendation to the Legislature regarding appropriations from the catastrophic illness fund. This recommendation shall be made in writing to the Legislature no later than the second Wednesday of January, two thousand, and the second Wednesday of each year thereafter after that.
(c) The commission shall develop internal policies and guidelines to establish standards for distributions from the James "Tiger" Morton catastrophic illness fund, and the commission shall make distributions from the fund in accordance with the guidelines.
(d) The commission shall appoint an executive director whose compensation will fixed by the commission within its budgetary appropriation. The executive director shall be classified exempt and may not be a member of the commission. The executive director may attend all meetings of the commission, as well as its committees, but has no vote on decisions or actions of the commission or its committees. The executive director shall carry out the decisions and actions of the commission, administer all affairs of the commission in accordance with its policies and discharge other duties as the commission shall from time to time determine. The commission may employ other officers, employees and clerical assistants as it considers necessary and may fix their compensation within the amounts made available by appropriation.
(e) The secretary of the department of health and human resources shall propose legislative rules for promulgation in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to accomplish the purpose of the James "Tiger" Morton catastrophic illness fund.
(f) The secretary shall assist the commission in the investigation of any suspected fraud related to an application for assistance through the catastrophic illness fund.
§16-5Q-3. Continuation of catastrophic illness commission.

The catastrophic illness commission shall continue to exist until the first day of July, two thousand five, pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of this code, unless sooner terminated, continued or reestablished pursuant to the provisions of that article.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added. Section three is new; therefore underscoring has been omitted.