Authorizing the City Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold public hearings in order to review and analyze the proposals of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes, State House Democrats, State Senate Democrats, and all other legislative proposals under consideration for the expenditure, investment, and, in general, the use of the Commonwealth's estimated $11.3 billion dollar settlement with the tobacco companies; and, further authorizing the Committee to solicit comments and suggestions from, but not limited to, health care advocates, youth advocates, health care industry experts, financial experts, academia, state legislative and executive branch officials, as well as, Governor Tom Ridge and State Senator Vincent Hughes regarding these and other proposals regarding the use of the tobacco settlement funds.

WHEREAS, In November, 1999, States agreed to settle lawsuits filed against tobacco companies for $206 billion dollars to recover the costs of treating smoking related illnesses; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will receive an estimated $11.3 billion dollars over the next 25 years as its portion of the tobacco settlement; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has already received $265 million as a result of the settlement; and

WHEREAS, Governor Tom Ridge has proposed spending the funds in the following manner: 40% to provide low-cost health insurance to uninsured residents; 15% on smoking prevention and cessation programs; 15% for investment in-home and community-based care for older residents; 15% to be invested in health care research and venture-capital development; 10% to pay hospitals and clinics for health care services for which they haven’t been compensated; and 5% to an endowment to augment future payments that could decline as tobacco sales drop; and

WHEREAS, An Employee Benefit Research Report explains that close to one million Pennsylvanians between the ages of 18 and 64 do not have health insurance; and

WHEREAS, Senator Hughes proposes creating a health insurance program for all uninsured and underinsured low- and middle-income individuals; and

WHEREAS, the City Council of Philadelphia wants to ensure that all voices are heard in the debate on how to spend the tobacco settlement funds; therefore

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, authorizes the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold public hearings in order to review and analyze the proposals of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes, State House Democrats, State Senate Democrats, and all other legislative proposals under consideration for the expenditure, investment, and, in general, the use of the Commonwealth’s estimated $11.3 billion dollar settlement with the tobacco companies; and, further authorizing the Committee to solicit comments and suggestions from, but not limited to, health care advocates, youth advocates, health care industry experts, financial experts, academia, state legislative and executive branch officials, as well as, Governor Tom Ridge and State Senator Vincent Hughes regarding these and other proposals regarding the use of the tobacco settlement funds.

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