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Committee advances Insurance Fund Working Group recommendations to move public health fees to general fund over five years
Summary
HB 7117, adopting recommendations of an insurance fund working group, would phase funding for the Office of Health Strategy and public health fees into the general fund over five years; backers say it narrows the insurance fund's role, while critics warned it reduces transparency.
The Insurance and Real Estate Committees voted to send HB 7117, which incorporates the recommendations of an insurance fund working group, to the floor. The bill would phase in moving certain public health fees and Office of Health Strategy (OHS) funding from the insurance fund to the state general fund over a five‑year timeline.
Supporters said the change would refocus the insurance fund on insurer‑related activities and relieve consumers of assessments that had become mechanisms to finance non‑insurance programs. “We would argue that, when we're paying our auto insurance, we shouldn't be covering the Office of Health Strategy,” one chair said while explaining the working group's rationale.
Opponents expressed concern that moving dedicated fees into the general fund would reduce transparency. “Sometimes you see that some of these agencies are getting funding from the insurance support, and it's good to know who's paying what,” said a committee member who announced a no vote to flag the need for further review.
Committee members noted the working group included leadership from the Appropriations Committee and that appropriation chairs had reviewed the recommendations. In response to questions, leadership said the estimated amounts being moved were approximately $13,000,000 for OHS and $900,000 for public health programs; committee leadership said appropriation chairs committed to funding the programs in the general fund.
Debate included discussion of the specific public health programs supported by the fee revenue (syringe service programs, breast and cervical cancer detection and treatment, tuberculosis screening and related programs) and whether funding through the general fund could be guaranteed if spending caps constrained appropriations.
The clerk conducted a roll call and the committee voted to JF the bill to the floor; several members recorded no votes on the record to indicate concern about transparency and fiscal capacity under the spending cap.
