HBA-JRA S.C.R. 6 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.C.R. 6 By: Harris House Administration 3/23/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, an estimated 24.5 percent of Texans, almost five million people, do not have health insurance. Nationwide, the percentage is estimated to be 16 percent. Most uninsured Texans are low-wage workers and their families. State welfare reform efforts have succeeded in moving many Texans from welfare to work, but some feel that the long-term success of reform is jeopardized because these workers may earn enough to lose their Medicaid eligibility yet not enough to afford health insurance coverage. Taxpayers often shoulder the burden of providing health care to uninsured citizens through county indigent health care programs, hospitals, and individual physicians. S.C.R. 6 urges the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives to establish and provide resources, including staffing, for a Blue Ribbon Task Force (task force) to conduct an in-depth study of the uninsured issue. This resolution sets forth the composition of the task force, and provides that the proceedings and operations of the task force be governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim committees as the 76th Legislature may adopt and that such rules and policies supersede the provisions of this resolution to the extent of any conflict. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS S.C.R. 6 urges the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives to establish and provide resources, including staffing, for a Blue Ribbon Task Force (task force) to conduct an in-depth study of the uninsured issue, sets forth the composition of the task force, and provides that the proceedings and operations of the task force be governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim committees as the 76th Legislature may adopt and that such rules and policies supersede the provisions of this resolution to the extent of any conflict.