The Pennsylvania House Health Committee passed a bill on Monday to remove Pennsylvania citizens from the federally required individual mandate portion of Obamacare.  The individual mandate would require citizens to purchase healthcare or face fines enforced by the IRS.

The Health Committee Chair, Matthew Baker (R), stated that he believed the bill would give the state an additional challenge to the constitutionality of the law in the event the Supreme Court upholds Obamacare.  The bill does not nullify the federal law, but instead, only eliminates the individual mandate. The bill is expected to eventually pass the Republican-controlled legislature and to be signed by Republican Governor, Tom Corbett.

The model legislation for the bill was drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council and has been introduced in 25 states.  Virginia, Missouri, Louisiana and Idaho have passed the bill into law while Oklahoma and Arizona have passed it as a constitutional amendment. Pennsylvania Independent