Bill Text: CA AJR17 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Federal tax.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 23-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-03 - From committee without further action pursuant to Joint Rule 62(a). [AJR17 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AJR17-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: AJR 17 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Patterson (Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Allen, Bigelow, Chávez, Conway, Dahle, Donnelly, Beth Gaines, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Harkey, Jones, Linder, Logue, Maienschein, Mansoor, Melendez, Morrell, Nestande, Olsen, Wagner, Waldron, and Wilk) APRIL 8, 2013 Relative to a repeal of a federal tax on medical devices. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AJR 17, as introduced, Patterson. Federal tax. This measure would urge the President and Congress of the United States of America to repeal the excise tax on medical devices to protect the medical device industry and its consumers. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, Beginning in 2013, federal law imposed a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sales of certain medical devices; and WHEREAS, The medical device industry employs approximately 519,000 people throughout the nation, and many companies have announced anticipated layoffs to counteract the lost revenue caused by the payment of the tax; and WHEREAS, California is home to over 1,200 medical device companies that employ over 107,000 Californians; and WHEREAS, Since approximately 20 percent of the nation's medical device industry workforce is located in California, the tax disproportionately impacts California businesses and employees; and WHEREAS, The tax also increases the costs of medical devices on consumers, causing a disproportionate and difficult burden on the sick and elderly, who more often need medical devices; and WHEREAS, The funds used to pay the tax could be better allocated towards research, development, and job creation in the medical device industry; and WHEREAS, A bipartisan effort in Congress, including members of the California congressional delegation, is working to repeal the tax; and WHEREAS, On March 21, 2013, the United States Senate voted 79 to 20 to support the Hatch-Klobuchar amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Resolution that would repeal the medical device tax that was included in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the President and Congress of the United States to repeal the excise tax on medical devices to protect the medical device industry and its consumers; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States of America, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.