Bill Text: NH HB601 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to implementation of federal health care reform.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-07-18 - House Law Without Signature 07/14/2011; Effective 07/01/2011; Chapter 0264; NH Constitution, Art.44, Pt.II [HB601 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2011-HB601-Introduced.html
HB 601-FN – AS INTRODUCED
2011 SESSION
01/09
HOUSE BILL 601-FN
AN ACT relative to implementation of federal health care reform.
COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs
This bill removes the repeal of the law authorizing the insurance commissioner to implement the insurance reforms required under federal law. This bill also requires the insurance department to obtain approval from the legislature and all other state agencies before implementing any of the federal changes.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
11-0794
01/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eleven
AN ACT relative to implementation of federal health care reform.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Federal Health Care Reform 2010; Authority of Commissioner. Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 420-L:3 to read as follows:
The commissioner shall enforce the consumer protections and market reforms as set forth in the Act that relate to insurance; provided that he or she shall first obtain approval from the oversight committee, established in RSA 420-L:6, the general court, and all other state agencies. The approvals required pursuant to this section shall also apply to the creation of insurance exchanges. This section shall not include the medical assistance program under RSA 167. The commissioner shall have full power and authority in accordance with the time frames set forth in the Act to:
2 Health Insurance Oversight Committee; Duties. Amend RSA 420-L:6 to read as follows:
420-L:6 Health Insurance Reform Oversight Committee. There is established a health insurance reform oversight committee consisting of 2 members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate, one of whom shall be from the senate commerce[, labor and consumer protection] committee, and 3 members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house, 2 of whom shall be from the house commerce and consumer affairs committee. The committee shall meet at the request of the commissioner, but no more frequently than monthly. The commissioner shall make such periodic reports to the oversight committee relative to the department's federal insurance reform implementation plans and initiatives as may be required by the oversight committee. The department shall not enforce or implement any federal reforms including, but not limited to, adopting rule changes, submitting grant proposals or requests, or any other implementation of the federal health care law without explicit approval from the general court and all other state agencies. The oversight committee shall make a summary report on federal insurance reform implementation, together with any recommendations for legislation, to the house commerce and consumer affairs committee and the senate commerce[, labor and consumer protection] committee by the first day of the 2011 legislative session.
3 Repeal. The following are repealed:
I. 2010, 243:15, relative to the repeal of RSA 420-L regarding federal health care reform.
II. 2010, 243:16, relative to the expiration of rules adopted pursuant to RSA 420-L.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
11-0794
Revised 01/27/11
HB 601 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to implementation of federal health care reform.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Insurance Department states this bill may increase state general fund expenditures by an indeterminable amount and will have an indeterminable fiscal impact on state general fund revenues in FY 2012 and each year thereafter. There will be no impact on county and local revenues or expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Insurance Department states this bill will remove the repeal of the law authorizing the insurance commissioner to implement insurance reforms required under federal law and requires the Department to obtain approval from the legislature and all other state agencies before implementing any of the federal changes. The Department states this bill will increase the Department’s administrative workload and may increase state general fund expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2012 and each year thereafter.
The Department states this bill may have an indeterminable fiscal impact on state general fund revenues if the Department is unable to implement rule changes without the approval of all other state agencies. The Department is unsure how this bill will be implemented and therefore cannot estimate the fiscal impact at this time.
