PRINTER'S NO. 871
No. 782 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, CAPPABIANCA,
MELIO, SHANER, THOMAS, TRELLO, TULLI, CLYMER, COLAFELLA,
COSTA, COY, DeLUCA, LAUGHLIN, SAINATO, YOUNGBLOOD,
WOJNAROSKI, WASHINGTON, WANSACZ, READSHAW, HERMAN, HARHAI,
HALUSKA AND JAMES, FEBRUARY 20, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
FEBRUARY 20, 2001
AN ACT
1 Providing for a designated percentage of tobacco litigation
2 master settlement agreement funds to be utilized for cancer
3 research facilities; establishing the Pennsylvania Cancer
4 Research Fund; providing for the duties of the Department of
5 Health; authorizing an advisory board and providing for its
6 powers and duties.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Short title.
10 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Tobacco
11 Settlement Cancer Research Act.
12 Section 2. Definitions.
13 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
14 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
15 context clearly indicates otherwise:
16 "Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
17 "Fund." The Pennsylvania Cancer Research Fund established in
18 section 3.
1 "Tobacco litigation master settlement agreement." The master
2 settlement agreement relating to tobacco litigation entered into
3 in 1998 by the Commonwealth and leading United States tobacco
4 product manufacturers.
5 Section 3. Fund.
6 (a) Establishment.--There is established in the State
7 Treasury the Pennsylvania Cancer Research Fund. The money of the
8 fund is appropriated on a continuing basis to the department for
9 the purposes set forth in this act.
10 (b) Funding.--Each year 25% of all money received by the
11 Commonwealth under the tobacco litigation master settlement
12 agreement shall be deposited into the fund for issuance of
13 grants in accordance with this act.
14 Section 4. Duties of department.
15 The department shall, in cooperation with the advisory board,
16 accept, evaluate and fund research projects designed to
17 determine the causes and treatment of all forms of cancer. The
18 department shall issue grants for this purpose. Grants shall be
19 paid from the fund.
20 Section 5. Advisory board.
21 (a) Authorization.--The Physician General shall appoint an
22 individual from each of the following to serve on an advisory
23 board:
24 (1) The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.
25 (2) The University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center.
26 (3) The Pennsylvania State Geisinger Cancer Institute.
27 (4) The Fox Chase Cancer Center.
28 (5) The Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson
29 University.
30 (6) The Temple University Cancer Center.
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1 (7) The Wistar Institute.
2 No member shall be entitled to receive any compensation for
3 participation on the advisory board but may be entitled to
4 receive reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred for that
5 participation.
6 (b) Cochairpersons.--The Physician General and one
7 individual on the advisory board, who in the first year of the
8 fund's operation shall be selected from among the members, shall
9 serve as cochairpersons. The selected chairperson shall serve in
10 that capacity for a term of three years. The Physician General
11 shall serve ex officio.
12 (c) Duties of the advisory board.--The advisory board shall
13 review project proposals for research study grants from the fund
14 and shall recommend approval of proposals to the department. The
15 advisory board shall devise a formula for distribution of fund
16 moneys for both long-term and short-term research projects.
17 Section 6. Effective date.
18 This act shall take effect immediately.
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