HJR 12-NO FED. CLAIM ON STATE TOBACCO SETTLEMENT and SJR 7-TOBACCO LITIGATION SETTLEMENT Number 013 REPRESENTATIVE JOHN HARRIS, sponsor of HJR 12, explained that the resolution asks that the federal government not take any of the monies allocated to the states in the tobacco settlement. There is concern that the President's budget includes some Medicaid money previously allocated to states which could be withheld. The resolution doesn't determine how the state will spend the money; it strictly asks Congress to ensure that those states involved in the litigation receive 100% of their entitlements. CHAIRMAN MILLER asked if anyone from Senator Ward's office was present to testify on SJR 7. No one came forward, and he stated that no one else had signed up to testify on the legislation. CHAIRMAN MILLER asserted that the Department of Law supports the legislation, and he received a nod of agreement from a department representative. He explained that the two joint resolutions are identical in wording, and the tradition of the Legislature has been to move forward the vehicle passing the other body. In this case, the House Joint Resolution passed into the Senate before the Senate Joint Resolution passed into the House. Traditionally, therefore, the House vehicle should move forward, but CHAIRMAN MILLER would leave it to the will of the committee. Number 059 SENATOR ELTON brought up that the department voiced a preference for the House version in their testimony last week. For that reason and the protocols involved, he suggested the committee pass the House Joint Resolution. CHAIRMAN MILLER agreed, but he said they are now identical word- for-word with Senator Ward's new sponsor substitute. SENATOR ELTON moved CSHJR 12(FIN). Hearing no objection, it passed from the committee with individual recommendations.