Senate Health Panel Delays Hearing on Health Care Reform Legislation
The Senate Health Committee has postponed a hearing scheduled for Wednesday on compromise health care reform legislation (ABX1 1) negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles), the Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" reports.
Alicia Trost, spokesperson for Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata (D-Oakland), said the hearing was delayed until Jan. 23 because the Legislative Analyst's Office had not completed its report assessing the impact of the health care reform plan on the state's budget deficit.
The report, requested by Perata, is expected to be completed by the new hearing date, according to Trost (Rojas, Sacramento Bee, "Capitol Alert," 1/14).
Perata said that although Senate amendments to the bill are possible, he does not anticipate changes that would affect the plan's funding mechanism.
Last month, Schwarzenegger and Núñez submitted a proposed ballot measure that would establish the funding mechanism for their health care overhaul plan. It calls for a tobacco tax increase, employer contributions and a new hospital fee.
The plan also would draw financing from increased federal funding, and consumer premiums and copayments.
Proponents of the ballot measure would have to rework it and resubmit it to the attorney general if the Senate amends ABX1 1 substantially (California Healthline, 1/11).