H.B. 351

VETOES

distributed if a nonprofit health service plan or health maintenance organization is
acquired. The bill designates the State Treasurer as its trustee. The Health Care
Foundation must transfer all foundation and Medbank records to the Maryland State
Archives and transfer all furniture and equipment to the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene by June 1, 2004.

On May 11, 2004, I signed into law Chapter 262 of the Acts of the General Assembly
of 2004 - Maryland Health Care Foundation and Maryland Health Care Trust. While
similar to House Bill 351, Chapter 262 transfers all funds remaining in the General
Investment Account of the Maryland Health Care Foundation as of June 1, 2004, to
Medbank of Maryland, Inc. Transferring these remaining resources to Medbank,
rather than to the Maryland Health Care Trust, as stipulated in House Bill 351, will
allow for increased access to prescription medicines for Marylanders who qualify for
this important program.

For the above stated reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 351.

Very truly yours,
Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
Governor

House Bill No. 351

AN ACT concerning

Maryland Health Care Foundation Repeal and Maryland Health Care Trust

FOR the purpose of terminating the Maryland Health Care Foundation; altering the
entity to which the fair value of certain assets must be distributed for certain
acquisitions to be in the public interest; codifying the, and making certain
stylistic and conforming changes to, certain provisions of law relating to the
Maryland Health Care Trust; altering the trustee of the Maryland Health Care
Trust to be the State Treasurer; altering the contents of the Trust; repealing an
obsolete provision of law requiring certain interest and earnings to be granted to
the Maryland Health Care Foundation; altering repealing a certain provision of
law requiring individuals who are public official members of a board or who are
members of the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Health Care Foundation and
who receive annual compensation of less than a certain amount to file an annual
financial disclosure statement; requiring certain records, furniture, and
equipment of the Maryland Health Care Foundation to be transferred to certain
entities on or before a certain date; authorizing the Governor to transfer certain
money and funds of the Maryland Health Care Foundation to the Maryland
Health Care Trust; and generally relating to the Maryland Health Care Trust
and the termination of the Maryland Health Care Foundation.

BY repealing

Article - Health - General

Section 15-101(d) and 15-305; and 20-501 through 20-510 and the subtitle

"Subtitle 5. Maryland Health Care Foundation"
Annotated Code of Maryland

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