By Lucio                                              S.C.R. No. 75
         76R14563 EFD-F                           
                                CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Lower Rio Grande Valley is an area of Texas
 1-2     vital  to the economic success and well-being of the state; and
 1-3           WHEREAS, The area faces a variety of challenges, one of which
 1-4     is a significant demand for indigent health care; this need is
 1-5     complicated by transportation issues and other difficulties
 1-6     affecting patient access to health care services; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, The State of Texas operates the South Texas Hospital
 1-8     in the city of Harlingen, and this institution provides critically
 1-9     needed health care services to indigent patients in the Lower Rio
1-10     Grande Valley; and
1-11           WHEREAS, State funds used to provide indigent health care
1-12     services at the South Texas Hospital have been used to obtain
1-13     matching federal funds through the Medicaid disproportionate share
1-14     hospital program and their use has increased the resources
1-15     available to provide health care services to indigent patients
1-16     throughout Texas; and
1-17           WHEREAS, The South Texas Hospital's physical facilities are
1-18     in need of major renovation, and there are other hospitals in the
1-19     Lower Rio Grande Valley that can provide inpatient services needed
1-20     by the indigent population of the region; and
1-21           WHEREAS, The mission of the South Texas Hospital and the
1-22     public good will best be served by contracting with public and
1-23     private hospitals in the Lower Rio Grande Valley so that they may
1-24     provide inpatient services to the indigent population; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, If the state intends to continue its commitment to
 2-2     provide needed health services to the people of the Lower Rio
 2-3     Grande Valley, then the Texas Legislature must encourage the
 2-4     federal government to continue matching state funds used to provide
 2-5     eligible inpatient services and to participate in innovative
 2-6     approaches that maximize local, state, and federal resources to
 2-7     address the pressing need for indigent health services in Texas;
 2-8     now, therefore, be it
 2-9           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-10     hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to
2-11     qualify the contributions made by the State of Texas for eligible
2-12     inpatient hospital services provided by contract in the Lower Rio
2-13     Grande Valley for federal matching funds under the Medicaid
2-14     disproportionate share hospital program; and, be it further
2-15           RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
2-16     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
2-17     the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of
2-18     the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of
2-19     the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
2-20     resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
2-21     memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.