SR344: SR344 Senate Study Committee on a Single-payer Healthcare Program; create

25 LC 59 0129 Senate Resolution 344 By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Jones II of the 22nd, Jackson of the 41st, Parent of the 44th and Islam Parkes of the 7th A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Study Committee on a Single-payer Healthcare Program; and for other1 purposes.2 3 WHEREAS, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted by Congress4 in 2010, fundamentally reforming the American healthcare system, by expanding Medicaid5 to 138 percent of the federal poverty line and making various changes to the health insurance6 industry; and7 WHEREAS, the State of Georgia has refused to implement Medicaid expansion as8 contemplated by the ACA, leaving nearly 300,000 Georgians uninsured; and9 WHEREAS, most other highly developed countries, including Austr alia, Canada, India,10 Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, and the United Kingd om, have single-payer11 healthcare systems of some kind; and 12 WHEREAS, opinion polls have shown that countries with single-payer healthcare systems13 almost universally prefer their systems over an American-style private healthcare system; 14 and15 S. R. 344 - 1 - 25 LC 59 0129 WHEREAS, various proposals have been introduced in Congress to create a nation-wide16 single-payer healthcare system, and many states, including California, Colorado, Hawaii, and17 Vermont, have explored the creation of a single-payer healthcare system at the state level;18 and19 WHEREAS, studies have shown that the United States would save a pproximately half a20 trillion dollars every year under a single-payer system, and th at as many as 212,000 lives21 could have been saved during the COVID-19 pandemic; and22 WHEREAS, the implementation of a single-payer healthcare system in Georgia would23 significantly improve healthcare outcomes in this state; and24 WHEREAS, a study committee is needed to establish informed reco mmendations for the25 implementation of a single-payer healthcare system.26 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:27 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee28 on a Single-payer Healthcare Program.29 (2) Members and officers.30 (A) The committee shall be composed of the following members:31 (i) Five members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate;32 (ii) The commissioner of public health or his or her designee;33 (iii) The commissioner of community health or his or her designee; and34 (iv) The commissioner of behavioral health and developmental disabilities or his or35 her designee.36 (B) The President of the Senate shall designate a legislative member of the committee37 to be the chairperson of the committee.38 S. R. 344 - 2 - 25 LC 59 0129 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,39 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or40 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.41 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee42 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or43 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and44 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.45 (5) Allowances and funding. The legislative members of the committee shall receive46 the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Offic ial Code of Georgia47 Annotated. Members of the committee who are state officials, o ther than legislative48 members, or who are state employees, shall receive no compensation for their services49 on the committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incur red by them in the50 performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they are51 reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees. The52 allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member of the53 committee for more than five days unless additional days are au thorized. Funds 54 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds55 appropriated to the Senate; except that funds for the reimburse ment of the expenses of56 state officials, other than legislative members, and for the reimbursement of the expenses57 of state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to their58 respective agencies.59 (6) Report.60 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that61 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the62 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to63 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.64 S. R. 344 - 3 - 25 LC 59 0129 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for65 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)66 of this paragraph.67 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of68 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.69 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with70 the Secretary of the Senate.71 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary72 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.73 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.74 S. R. 344 - 4 -