By: Moncrief S.C.R. No. 34 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Improving patient access to quality health care is a 1-2 paramount national goal; and 1-3 WHEREAS, The key to improved health care, especially for 1-4 persons with serious unmet medical needs, is the rapid approval of 1-5 safe and effective new drugs, biological products, and medical 1-6 devices; and 1-7 WHEREAS, Minimizing the delay between discovery and eventual 1-8 approval of a new drug, biological product, or medical device 1-9 derived from research conducted by innovative pharmaceutical and 1-10 biotechnology companies could improve the lives of millions of 1-11 Americans; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Current limitations on the dissemination of 1-13 information about pharmaceutical products reduce the availability 1-14 of information to physicians, other health care professionals, and 1-15 patients and unfairly limit the right of free speech guaranteed by 1-16 the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; and 1-17 WHEREAS, The current rules and practices governing the review 1-18 of new drugs, biological products, and medical devices by the 1-19 United States Food and Drug Administration can delay approvals and 1-20 are unnecessarily expensive; now, therefore, be it 1-21 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-22 respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to address this 1-23 important issue by enacting comprehensive legislation to facilitate 2-1 the rapid review and approval of innovative new drugs, biological 2-2 products, and medical devices, without compromising patient safety 2-3 or product effectiveness; and, be it further 2-4 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be prepared and 2-5 forwarded by the Texas secretary of state to the President of the 2-6 United States, the Speaker of the United States House of 2-7 Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and to 2-8 all members of the Texas delegation to the Congress with the 2-9 request that this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record 2-10 as a memorial to the Congress of the United States.