Brief ⁽¹⁾

HB 2932 creates a Kansas Council on Obesity Prevention and Management within the Department of Health and Environment composed of:

The Secretaries of Health and Environment, Social and Rehabilitation Services, and Human Resources, or their designees;

The Commissioner of Education;

A representative of the Office of the Governor appointed by the Governor;

Two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker and the Minority Leader;

Two members of the Senate appointed by the President and Minority Leader;

Two members of the public selected by the Secretary of Health and Environment;

The presidents of the Kansas Medical Society, the Kansas State Nurses Association, the Kansas Pharmacists Association, the Kansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Kansas Association of Health Plans, the Kansas Public Health Association, the Kansas Health Insurance Association, the Kansas Physical Therapists Association, and the Kansas Hospital Association or the designees of such persons;

The Executive Vice Chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center or such person's designee;

A representative appointed from the Kansas State Office of the American Association of Retired Persons;

A representative of the Kansas Dietetic Association; and

A member appointed by the Commissioner of Insurance.

The Chair and Vice Chair are to be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Environment. Members of the Council are to serve without compensation.

The bill defines obesity for the purposes of the act created by HB 2932; sets out the powers, functions, and duties of the Council; requires the Council to convene its first meeting no later than October 1, 2000; sets out staff of the Council as a program coordinator and a half-time clerical staff person whose salaries are to be set by the Secretary of Health and Environment; authorizes the Council to adopt rules of procedure; requires at least quarterly meetings; and directs the Council to submit a report to the Governor, House Health and Human Services Committee, and the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee prior to the convening of the 2002 Session.

Background

In testimony presented to the House Committee, the chief sponsor of the bill and a representative of the Department of Health and Environment expressed support for the bill. No one appeared in opposition.

No fiscal note was available at the time the House Committee acted on the bill.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html