SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 35
(Originating in the Committee on Government Organization)
Requesting the joint committee on government and finance to create
a joint committee of members of the Senate and House of
Delegates to investigate and study combining the West Virginia
board of medicine and the West Virginia board of osteopathy;
to determine the need, if any, for legislative action; and to
report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature.
Whereas, The West Virginia board of medicine and West Virginia
board of osteopathy are currently separate boards with similar
functions and responsibilities; and
Whereas, The West Virginia board of medicine has a long
tradition of overseeing the practice of medical doctors throughout
the state of West Virginia; and
Whereas, The West Virginia board of osteopathy has a long
tradition of overseeing the practice of doctors of osteopathic
medicine in the state of West Virginia; and
Whereas, Due to West Virginia's growing and changing health
care environment, medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic
medicine are working more closely together to treat the residents
of the state of West Virginia; and
Whereas, It has come to the attention of the Legislature that
there is an effort to increase services and reduce costs to the
taxpayers of the state of West Virginia and continue to provide high quality medical care; and
Whereas, The Legislature has determined a need to investigate
and study combining the West Virginia board of medicine and the
West Virginia board of osteopathy and to consider the necessity, if
any, to enact legislation to determine the feasibility of saving
the taxpayers of the state of West Virginia from duplicate costs,
and to protect the safety and health of the citizens of the state
of West Virginia by ensuring high quality review of its health care
professionals; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the joint committee on government and finance is hereby
requested to create a joint committee of the Senate and House of
Delegates consisting of five members of the Senate, to be
designated by the president of the Senate, with no more than three
members of the same political party, and five members of the House
of Delegates, to be designated by the speaker of the House of
Delegates, with no more than three members of the same political
party, and who shall be empowered: (1) To investigate and study
combining the West Virginia board of medicine and the West Virginia
board of osteopathy; (2) to consider the need, if any, to enact
legislation to accomplish this goal; (3) tTo hold hearings thereon;
(4) tTo make findings of fact and conclusions based on such
investigation; and (5) tTo present its findings and recommendations
to the Legislature; and, be it
Further resolved, That the committee shall meet in Charleston or elsewhere, as it may consider necessary or appropriate; and, be
it
Further resolved, That the committee shall report to the
Legislature on or before the third Wednesday of November, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, regarding its findings and any
recommendations which the committee may deem proper; and, be it
Further resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draftirect recommended legislation, be
paid from legislative appropriations to the joint committee on
government and finance.
And reports the same back with the recommendation that it be
adopted.
Respectfully submitted,
Larry Wiedebusch,
Chair.