AUGUSTA — The King administration cemented its stand Wednesday that Maine’s share of the $206 billion national tobacco settlement should be used for health-related purposes.

But legislative advocates for defining what the money would be used for ran into questions from other lawmakers urging a go-slow approach.

As the Appropriations Committee and Health and Human Services Committee joined to take up a number of bills on the subject, Human Services Commissioner Kevin Concannon said he saw no other choice from a “moral imperative point of view” but to use the money for health care and anti-smoking efforts.

“This settlement is to reimburse for the health care costs due to tobacco use and the money should be used for health care costs or prevention efforts relating to tobacco use,” Concannon said in an emphasized portion of his prepared remarks.

Concannon’s testimony completed a sharp change of position since Gov. Angus King’s declarations earlier this year that at least a large chunk of the settlement money ought to go for direct tax relief.

As one of 46 states involved in the national settlement, Maine stands to receive an estimated $1.4 billion or more over 25 years.

It remains unclear, however, when annual payments will start.

Among the bills presented Wednesday were several from top House and Senate lawmakers.

House Speaker Steven Rowe is calling for the money to be used in five areas, including smoking cessation and education, with a particular focus on children.

The Portland Democrat, reiterating his view that “promoting good health is always a sound investment,” would also earmark money for early care for children and health insurance with an emphasis on children.

He further proposes additional funding for low-cost drugs for the elderly, as well as for substance abuse and treatment, again with a focus on children.

A plan put forth by Senate Majority Leader Chellie Pingree, D-North Haven, overlaps some of Rowe’s package. The Healthy Maine Program she envisions would channel some settlement money into subsidized prescription drugs and some into expanded health insurance coverage.

Yet another measure sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Jane Amero, R-Cape Elizabeth, would create a Maine Tobacco Endowment Fund.

Amero, urging that lawmakers allow the fund to build over time, said the relatively lower level of initial funding she favored could go to existing programs such as Healthy Start home visiting, the elderly low-cost drug program and the Partnership for a Tobacco-free Maine.

But while Pingree argued for lawmakers to “tie the money up, to decide now” on its application, Amero counseled a wait-and-see strategy that might draw on the experiences of the few states that resolved complaints with the tobacco industry individually.

Meanwhile, she said, Maine lawmakers might put off action until next year.

The Republican senate leader’s suggestions came as the Democratic senate chairman of the Appropriations panel, Michael Michaud of East Millinocket, indicated concern about moving too fast.

In his questions to the various sponsors, Michaud repeatedly asked if it would not be premature to spell out programmatic uses for money not yet in hand.

“I don’t think we can write the check, but we can make the decisions,” Pingree said.

She also conceded, “there are some uncertainties … about the timing of the money.”

Concannon said the King administration wants settlement money used for two general purposes: “improved disease prevention and improved management of chronic diseases.”

Maine, reported to have the highest rate of smoking among young adults and one of the highest rates of smoking among youth, also has the fourth highest death rate in the nation due to chronic disease, Concannon said.

“Another way of illustrating this is that three-quarters of Maine people die of four common diseases: cardiovascular disease, cancer, emphysema and diabetes,” Concannon said in his prepared testimony.

“Tobacco,” he added, “plays a pernicious role in each of these disease entities.”