It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "Health and Safety" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

{ADD CHAPTER 67 ADD} {ADD THE RHODE ISLAND RESEARCH AND TREATMENT ADD} {ADD FUND FOR UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED WOMEN STRICKEN WITH CANCER ADD}

{ADD 23-67-1. Declaration of intent. -- ADD} {ADD WHEREAS, The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations recognizes that many women who are uninsured and underinsured, who are victims of breast and cervical cancer, as well as their families, are forced to bear substantial physical, emotional, social and financial hardships associated with these cancerous illnesses; and

WHEREAS, The financial costs for treatment and continued health care for women stricken with these types of cancer are often prohibitive, because these women are uninsured or underinsured; and

WHEREAS, Many nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island attempt to ameliorate this distressing situation for the victims of breast and cervical cancer by providing services to help defray the costs associated with the care and treatment of these women not otherwise provided for; and

WHEREAS, As admirable as the efforts of these nonprofit organizations are, it is widely acknowledged that they lack the funding to meet all of the needs of the women in this state stricken with breast and cervical cancer.

It is hereby declared to be the intent of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to provide a means by which breast and cervical cancer victims, whose needs for research further diagnostic testing and treatment are not otherwise provided for because they are women, who are uninsured or underinsured, may be financed through a special fund as set forth in section 23-67-2. It is also intended that funds generated by this special fund be supplemental to any funds which would otherwise be available for the above purposes, and that the funds be used only for research, further diagnostic testing and treatment. ADD}

{ADD 23-67-2. The Rhode Island Research and Treatment Fund for Breast and Cervical Cancer. -- Uses of the fund. -- ADD} {ADD (a) There is hereby established a fund to be called the The Rhode Island Research and Treatment Fund for Breast and Cervical Cancer which shall be administered by the general treasurer in accordance with the same laws and fiscal procedures as the general funds of the state. The general treasurer is authorized to accept any grant, devise, bequest, donation, gift, services in kind, assignment of money, bonds or other valuable securities for deposit in and credit of the fund. Taxpayer funds shall not be co-mingled as deposited in this fund.

(b) The monies received under this chapter shall be made available by the treasurer annually by September 30 to qualified organizations and shall be distributed equally among all qualified organizations which have been certified by the department of health for the funding year.

(c) Upon distribution to qualified organizations, the monies shall be used exclusively for prevention research and for further diagnostic testing and treatment.

(d) Any eligible organization which seeks qualified organization status for a funding year shall submit an application to the department of health not later than July 15 of the year for which they seek said status. The application must include:

(1) The specific nature of the services the eligible organization is proposing to provide and which type of cancer said services are proposed to be provided to;

(2) Eligible services that the eligible organization has provided in the past year or is currently providing and the annual cost of the services;

(3) Whether the monies sought under this chapter will be used to fund new or existing programs for eligible services; and

(4) Any other information the department of health deems necessary to facilitate the purposes of this chapter.

(e) Upon receipt of the annual application from eligible organizations as provided in this section, the director of the department of health shall review each application to determine if it complies with the intent and requirements of this chapter. Upon a finding by the director of the department of health that the application so complies, the director of the department of health shall certify that the eligible organization has been designated as a qualified organization for the funding year. The director of the department of health shall provide notice of approval or denial of certification not later than September 15 to each eligible organization which has submitted an annual application.

(f) The director of the department of health is hereby authorized to promulgate any rules or regulations and prescribe forms necessary to facilitate the provisions of this chapter. ADD}

{ADD 23-67-3. Severability. -- ADD} {ADD If the provisions of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of the chapter are declared to be severable. ADD}

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.