By: Turner, B. H.C.R. No. 145 73R10910 SMC-D CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Rapidly rising health care costs, which now consume 1-2 14 percent of the gross national product, threaten to destroy our 1-3 nation's employment base and economic security; and 1-4 WHEREAS, American workers have shown a genuine willingness to 1-5 cooperate with business owners in efforts to confront the problems 1-6 that are at the root of rising medical costs and health care 1-7 spending; and 1-8 WHEREAS, In recognition of the cooperative spirit that 1-9 characterizes America's approach to the problem of health care, 1-10 members of the 102nd Congress have sponsored legislation that would 1-11 create medical savings accounts; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Built up by contributions from employees and 1-13 employers, these medical savings accounts would allow complete 1-14 freedom in choices of routine health care while offering protection 1-15 against the costs of catastrophic illnesses; and 1-16 WHEREAS, By giving American workers true control over their 1-17 medical finances, administrative costs would be substantially 1-18 reduced, and normal market incentives would apply to decisions in 1-19 health care spending; now, therefore, be it 1-20 RESOLVED, That the 73rd Legislature of the State of Texas 1-21 hereby request the Congress of the United States to enact the 1-22 appropriate changes in the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers 1-23 to set up tax-free medical savings accounts that would enable 1-24 consumers to control medical care spending; and, be it further 2-1 RESOLVED, That medical savings accounts be included as a part 2-2 of the national health care initiative being developed by the 2-3 congress; and, be it further 2-4 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-5 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 2-6 the speaker of the house of representatives of the United States 2-7 Congress, to the president of the senate of the United States 2-8 Congress, and to all members of the Texas delegation to the 2-9 congress, with the request that this resolution be officially 2-10 entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress 2-11 of the United States.