By:  Moncrief                                S.C.R. No. 34

         97S0520/1                           

                            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

1-24     the rapid review and approval of innovative new drugs, biological

 2-1     products, and medical devices, without compromising patient safety

 2-2     or product effectiveness; and, be it further

 2-3           RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be prepared and

 2-4     forwarded by the Texas secretary of state to the President of the

 2-5     United States, the Speaker of the United States House of

 2-6     Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and to

 2-7     all members of the Texas delegation to the Congress with the

 2-8     request that this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record

 2-9     as a memorial to the Congress of the United States.