04/26/2006 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 29                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating to health care insurance and to the                                                                        
     Comprehensive   Health    Insurance   Association;   and                                                                   
     providing for an effective date.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NORM ROKEBERG,  commented  that  in the  last                                                                   
hearing  a graph  was  submitted  regarding what  would  have                                                                   
happened if  the state  had not  become self-insured  and had                                                                   
remained  in the  high-risk pool.   The  bill authorizes  the                                                                   
state  to grant  a tax  credit  from the  $46 million  income                                                                   
received from  insurance company  premium taxes annually.  It                                                                   
grants a 50 percent annual assessment  to pick up the cost of                                                                   
insuring the  high-risk pool  premiums.   This will  help the                                                                   
health insurance crisis in the state.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Chenault   noted  a  zero  fiscal   note  from  the                                                                   
Department  of   Commerce  and  Economic  Development.     He                                                                   
inquired what  "all funding sources"  means.  He  asked about                                                                   
the date, "2005 legislative session".                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Rokeberg  explained that the  Administration's                                                                   
fiscal note  was for a prior  version of the bill.   Co-Chair                                                                   
Chenault was referring  to old fiscal notes.   Fiscal note #1                                                                   
by   Department   of   Commerce,   Community   and   Economic                                                                   
Development is  a zero note for  FY 07 and  $1,750,000 credit                                                                   
for FY 08.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Foster MOVED  to REPORT  HB 29  (L&C) out  of                                                                   
Committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  29 (L&C)  was  REPORTED  out of  Committee  with a  "no                                                                   
recommendation"  and   with  zero  fiscal  note   #1  by  the                                                                   
Department of Commerce and Economic Development.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:28:56 PM