State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB0486gms

 
                         OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
             207 STATE CAPITOL, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS 62706
                              June 30, 2000
      GEORGE H. RYAN
      GOVERNOR
      To the Honorable Members of the
          Illinois House of Representatives
          91st General Assembly
          I have signed House Bill  486,  which  amends  the  Civil
      Administrative  Code  of Illinois by adding Section 2310-260,
      and also amends the  State  Finance  Act  by  adding  Section
      5.541.   This  legislation  requires the Department of Public
      Health, subject to appropriation, to establish and administer
      a program  to  pay  recipients  for  drugs  and  other  costs
      prescribed  exclusively  for  post transplant maintenance and
      retention when those costs are not otherwise reimbursed.  The
      legislation also creates the Post Transplant Maintenance  and
      Retention Fund as a special fund in the State Treasury.
          House  Bill  486 is intended to help qualified transplant
      recipients purchase some of their  high  cost  medication  by
      establishing  the  Post  Transplant Maintenance and Retention
      Fund.  While this is a worthy goal, House Bill 486  does  not
      provide  any  Funding  or any guarantee of future funding for
      the program.  I  have  been  a  staunch  advocate  for  organ
      donation  for many years and believe that this legislation is
      a positive step in view of the escalating problems associated
      with  transplant  patients'  inability  to  pay   for   their
      essential medication.  However, since House Bill 486 does not
      provide  any  funding  for  this program, I strongly urge the
      General  Assembly   to   fund   this   program   through   an
      appropriation.   I  am also encouraging the private sector to
      financially support this Fund and work  in  partnership  with
      State  government  to  ensure  that  the  growing  demand for
      medication is appropriately addressed.  Finally,  because  of
      my  strong  commitment  to  organ donation and because of the
      demonstrated need for this Fund, I plan to include a  funding
      request  for  this purpose in my budget proposal for the next
      fiscal year.
          With this clarification, I have signed House Bill 486.
                                             Sincerely,
                                             s/GEORGE H. RYAN
                                             Governor

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