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California Healthcare Trust Fund Exempt from Revenue Restrictions Initiative (2018)
| California Healthcare Trust Fund Exempt from Revenue Restrictions Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 6, 2018 | |
| Topic Healthcare | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The California Healthcare Trust Fund Exempt from Revenue Restrictions Initiative (#17-0019) was not on the ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018.
The measure would have created a healthcare trust fund called the Healthy California Trust Fund (HCTF). The HCTF would have been used to fund, promote, support, and improve healthcare and healthcare-related goods, services, education, and outcomes in California. The HCTF would have been independent of the General Fund.[1]
The measure would have exempted the HCTF from Proposition 4 of 1979, also known as the Gann Limit, and Proposition 98 of 1988. Proposition 4 established appropriations limits on the state and local governments. Proposition 98 required a minimum percentage of the state budget to be spent on K-14 education.
According to the Findings and Declaration section of the measure, the state's constitutional fiscal rules (Proposition 4 and Proposition 98) needed to be amended to make "a stable, reliable universal healthcare system," such as a single-payer system, possible. The initiative itself would not have established a single-payer or other type of healthcare system; a legislative statute or a different citizen's initiative would have been required.
Proponents of the measure referred to the initiative as the California Healthcare Roadblock Removal Act.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The official ballot title was as follows:[2]
| “ | Establishes a Fund for Healthcare in California Exempt from Revenue Restrictions. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.[3] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets was as follows:[2]
| “ | Creates trust fund within the state treasury solely for funding healthcare and healthcare-related expenses to encourage Legislature to enact healthcare policy and funding mechanisms. Allows Legislature to raise any taxes dedicated to the fund by majority vote and to deposit state and federal monies into the fund. Exempts fund’s revenues from constitutionally required: annual state spending limit, minimum-funding guarantee for schools, and state budget reserve deposits. Permits Legislature to establish rules reserving or delaying disbursement of monies deposited in fund, subject to annual cap.[3] | ” |
Fiscal impact
- Note: The fiscal impact statement for a California ballot initiative authorized for circulation is prepared by the state's legislative analyst and director of finance.
The fiscal impact statement was as follows:[2]
| “ | No direct fiscal impact on state and local governments. Any future impact would be dependent on actions by the Legislature and Governor. The measure makes it easier to increase state tax revenues dedicated to healthcare spending. It could also have a variety of impacts on the state budget—including on the state’s spending limit, and spending on healthcare, education, debts, and reserves.[3] | ” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article XVI, Article XIII A, and Article XIII B of the California Constitution
The measure would add a Section 24 to Article XVI, add a Section 8 to Article XIII A, and add a Section 15 to Article XIII B of the California Constitution.[1] The full text of the constitutional amendment is available here.
Initiative sponsors
Enact Universal Healthcare for CA, Inc. sponsored the initiative.[4]
Path to the ballot
In California, the number of signatures needed to qualify a measure for the ballot is based on the total number of votes cast for the office of governor. For an initiated constitutional amendment, petitioners must collect signatures equal to 8 percent of the most recent gubernatorial vote. To get a measure on the 2018 ballot, the number of signatures required was 585,407. In California, initiatives can be circulated for 180 days. Signatures needed to be certified at least 131 days before the 2018 general election, which was around June 28, 2018. As the signature verification process can take several weeks, the California secretary of state issues suggested deadlines for several months before the certification deadline.
The timeline for the initiative is as follows:[5]
- Dale Fountain submitted a letter requesting a title and summary on August 18, 2017.
- A title and summary were issued by the California attorney general's office on October 24, 2017.
- Proponents of the initiative needed to submit 585,407 valid signatures by April 23, 2018, in order for it to make the 2018 ballot.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 California Attorney General, "Initiative #17-0019," August 18, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation," accessed March 6, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Enact Universal Healthcare fo CA, "Home," accessed November 16, 2017
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Ballot Measures," accessed August 20, 2017
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