ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
education 2000; revisions
(NOW: disease control research commission; grants)
Expands the uses of health
research fund monies to include research for non-tobacco related diseases.
In 1984 the Legislature
established the Arizona Disease Control Research Commission (ADCRC) to protect
public health and safety by contracting with individuals and organizations to
advance research into the causes and prevention of diseases. The ADCRC currently supports a wide range of
tobacco-related research through financial grants to groups studying a variety
of issues, including the role of genetics in tobacco-related cancer and the
effectiveness of acupuncture in smoking cessation programs. In each of the last two fiscal years the
ADCRC supported 85 research projects, 11 of which pertained to anticancer
research.
Prior to 1996, the ADCRC was
funded exclusively with appropriations from the general fund, and was
consequently authorized to support unrestricted medical research. Beginning in 1996, only existing contracts
were completed with general fund monies while tobacco tax and health care fund
monies supported new research.
Beginning in FY 1996-1997, the source of funding for the ADCRC shifted
solely to the health research account.
Pursuant to statute, the
ADCRC is only able to support research on prevention and treatment of
tobacco-related disease and addiction (A.R.S. §36-275). As a result, the ADCRC has had to reject
research proposals on a wide range of medical issues, including the effects of
environmental pollutants, childhood diseases, various developmental disorders,
neurological and childhood cancers and spinal cord injuries. H.B. 2595 eliminates the current restriction
by allowing the ADCRC to support unrestricted medical research.
Provisions
1. Allows the ADCRC to use health research fund monies for research into the causes, the epidemiology and diagnosis, the formulation of cures, the medically accepted treatment and the prevention of diseases, including new drug discovery and development.
2. Provides for a general effective date.
House Action
HEA 3/05/01 DPA 9-0-0-1
3rd Read 3/14/01 DPA 54-0-6-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
March 22, 2001