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1998/99 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 36th Parliament

FIRST READING

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

MR. NEUFELD

BILL M 213 – 1998

RURAL HEALTH TRANSPORTATION ACT

HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province

of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

British Columbia Travelcare Fund established

1 There is hereby established the British Columbia Travelcare Fund (the "fund"), for the

purpose of assisting patient and family travel and associated expenses, where travel is

undertaken from rural communities within British Columbia for the purpose of

obtaining specialist medical care or diagnostic procedures not available in the patient's

community.

2 All frequent flyer airline points ("points") arising from taxpayer-funded travel will be

desposited directly into the fund.

3 The provisions of this Act are applicable to all persons who travel on taxpayer-funded

airline flights, including Members of the Legislative Assembly and employees and

contractors of government ministries, Crown Corporations, municipalities, school

districts and hospital boards.

Administration of the fund

(1) The fund shall be administered by a Board of Directors, appointed by the Select

Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly on Health and Social Services,

in conjunction with the Mission Air Transportation Network.

(2) The Board of Directors shall consist of five members, each appointed for a three

year term, at least three whom reside in rural British Columbia.

Powers of the fund

(1) The Travelcare Fund shall have all of the powers of a natural person of full age

and capacity.

(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the fund may enter into

agreements with any airline or other transportation or hospitality firm or

enterprise for the purpose of facilitating the operations or furthering the objects

of the fund, or otherwise reducing the transportation and related expenses of rural

residents in obtaining health care for themselves, their dependents, family

members, and other such residents who they are assisting to obtain health care.

Assignment of benefits

(1) Any person not subject to inclusion within

section 3 who is in receipt of a travel

point, bonus, discount, or other valuable advantage or consideration with respect

to transportation or accommodation may at any time assign the same to the fund.

(2) No person so doing in good faith, shall, on that account, at any time be deemed

to be in violation of any statute, or code of conduct, or to be in a real or perceived

conflict of interest with their duties to a public or private employer.

Explanatory Note

This Bill creates a fund to help defray the cost of transportation of rural residents to medical facilities, through the collection and donation of travel bonus points by elected representatives and public sector employees, including municipal, school district, Crown Corporation, and hospital board employees. It also enables the fund to accept other donations from any source. A majority of those administering the fund will be residents of rural British Columbia.

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