IB-1999-A (March 1999)
Author: Linda Gorman

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Synopsis: This bill allows a state task force to receive private funding. It is a trojan horse to allow the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to push for socialized medicine and various nanny state schemes. The bill is antithetical to the principle that government activities should be paid for (and therefore controlled by) the legislature.

What the Bill Does: This bill creates the Colorado Health Care Task Force consisting of 9 members of the general assembly, 5 from the House of Representatives, and 4 from the Senate. The Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate make the appointments. Members may serve for 2 consecutive terms of 1 year. The task force must meet at least 4 times per year.

Members may appoint subcommittees. The members of the subcommittees will not be paid. Subcommittee members should be chosen from the usual suspectshealth care providers of various stripes, employers of various sizes, hospitals, managed care insurers, HMOs, community activists involved in health issues, and bureaucrats from the Department of Public Health and Environment, and the Division of Insurance.

All task force costs will be reimbursed despite the fact that there will be no legislative appropriation. This is possible because the bill specifically states that the task force may accept and spend “federal funds, grants, gifts, and donations” for purposes of the task forces activities.