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Amend the resolve by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘Resolve, Establishing the Commission To Study the Incidence of and Mortality Related to Cancer’
Amend the resolve by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1 Commission established. Resolved: That the Commission To Study the Incidence of and Mortality Related to Cancer, referred to in this resolve as "the commission," is established; and be it further
Sec. 2 Commission membership. Resolved: That the commission consists of no more than 13 members appointed as follows:
1. The President of the Senate shall:
A. Appoint 3 members of the Senate, including a member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature. The President of the Senate shall give a preference in making one of the appointments to a member who serves on the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services; and
B. Appoint one person representing the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and one person representing a statewide public health organization; and
2. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall:
A. Appoint 4 members of the House of Representatives, including members from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature. The Speaker of the House shall give a preference in making one of the appointments to a member who serves on the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services; and
B. One person representing a statewide organization of medical professionals, one person representing a statewide voluntary nonprofit health organization that represents cancer patients, one person who possesses expertise in cancer research or epidemiology and one person who possesses expertise in the subject matter of the study; and be it further
Sec. 3 Chairs. Resolved: That the first-named Senate member is the Senate chair and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair of the commission; and be it further
Sec. 4 Appointments; convening of commission. Resolved: That all appointments must be made no later than 10 days following the effective date of this resolve. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have been made. The chairs of the commission shall call and convene the first meeting of the commission within 15 days of the effective date of this resolve. If a majority of but not all appointments have been made within 10 days of the effective date of this resolve, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant authority for the commission to meet and conduct its business; and be it further
Sec. 5 Meeting. Resolved: That the commission is authorized to meet up to 6 times to accomplish its duties; and be it further
Sec. 6 Duties. Resolved: That the commission shall review the State's above-average rates of cancer incidence and mortality and the State's current cancer prevention, detection and treatment goals and priorities.
The commission shall gather information and data from public and private entities as necessary to:
1. Identify or review the State's current priorities and goals to reduce the incidence of and mortality from cancer;
2. Identify the types of cancer with the highest incidence and mortality in the State, including the types of cancer whose incidence and mortality rates differ the most from national averages;
3. Identify the risk factors, including preventable lifestyle risk factors such as tobacco use, diet, exercise and obesity, related to high relative rates of the incidence of and mortality from cancer;
4. Identify the extent to which barriers to health care in the State contribute to cancer mortality;
5. Make recommendations for legislative strategies to reduce the State's cancer incidence and mortality; and
6. Make recommendations for how current state programs could further assist citizens through education and cancer prevention programs; and be it further
Sec. 7 Cooperation. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services and the Commissioner of Education, and any other relevant department, shall provide information and data to the commission as necessary for its work, within existing resources; and be it further
Sec. 8 Staff assistance. Resolved: That the Legislative Council may provide necessary staffing services to the commission; and be it further
Sec. 9 Report. Resolved: That, no later than December 4, 2013, the commission shall submit a report that includes its findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services in the Second Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. The amendment retains the duties of the task force proposed in the resolve and changes that task force into the Commission To Study the Incidence of and Mortality Related to Cancer. This amendment provides for appointments of 13 members by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. This amendment directs the commissioners of several state agencies to provide information and data to the commission. This amendment authorizes the Legislative Council to provide staffing to the commission. This amendment directs the commission to submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services by December 4, 2013.