Arizona Proposition 203 (1996)
From Ballotpedia
Arizona Proposition 203, also known as the Allocates Lottery Revenues for Health Programs, was on the November 7, 1996 election ballot in Arizona.
Contents |
1996 election results
| Arizona Proposition 203 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes or no | Percentage | |||
 Yes
| 72% | |||
| No | 28% | |||
| Total votes | 100% precincts | |||
Text of the proposal
The language that appeared on the ballot:
Proposition 203 would make more low-income persons eligible to receive health care under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state's health care system for the poor. For most AHCCCS recipients, the federal government pays 65% of the costs of health care and the state pays 35% of these costs. Currently, there are many eligibility categories that determine whether an individual can receive health care under AHCCCS, including one that requires that a recipient's net income not exceed approximately 34% of the "federal poverty level". If Proposition 203 passes, people who earn up to 100% of the federal poverty level will qualify to receive health care under AHCCCS.
Proposition 203 sets aside $17 million each year from lottery revenues to fund six health and nutrition programs. Proposition 203 would allocate the $17 million as follows: (1) $5 million would go to the Healthy Families program, which provides services to prevent child abuse and neglect and to promote child wellness and proper development; (2) $4 million would go to the Arizona Health Education System to provide scholarships to medical students who agree to practice in areas of the state that are currently underserved by health care professionals; (3) $3 million would go to programs to prevent teenage pregnancy; (4) $2 million would go for disease control research; (5) $2 million would go to Health Start, a program that aims to reduce the incidence of low birth weight babies and childhood diseases and to educate families on the importance of good nutrition and preventative health care for their children; and (6) $1 million would go to the Women, Infants and Children Food program.
Currently, lottery revenues are earmarked for deposit in economic development, local transportation assistance and two state heritage funds. If Proposition 203 passes, the $17 million would be distributed only after the economic development, local transportation assistance and heritage funds receive their full appropriations. If Proposition 203 does not pass, all lottery revenues remaining after these appropriations will continue to be deposited in the state general fund.
