By Counts                                            H.C.R. No. 275
         77R14714 CCK-F                           
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, State veterans homes represent a unique partnership
 1-2     among the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the State of
 1-3     Texas, and providers of skilled health care for the men and women
 1-4     to whom we owe an immense debt of gratitude for their patriotic
 1-5     service; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature authorized the creation of a
 1-7     state veterans home program in 1997 and has authorized issuance of
 1-8     revenue bonds to construct four homes that have been established in
 1-9     Temple, Floresville, Big Spring, and Bonham; and
1-10           WHEREAS, Chapter 164, Natural Resources Code, vests the
1-11     Veterans' Land Board with the responsibility to build, manage, and
1-12     oversee the operation  of state veterans homes in Texas; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Texas is challenged by a large and growing
1-14     population of veterans over the age of 65 who may require the
1-15     long-term skilled care provided by state veterans homes; and
1-16           WHEREAS, Current VA funding policies for the care of veterans
1-17     in private nursing homes differs significantly from those governing
1-18     care to veterans in state veterans homes; and
1-19           WHEREAS, There are veterans who have expressed interest in
1-20     residence at a Texas state veterans home but who are unable to meet
1-21     the financial requirements for admission and thereby are denied the
1-22     opportunity to receive quality long-term care by that means
1-23     compared to VA-funded care in a private nursing home; and
1-24           WHEREAS, VA guidelines are interpreted differently from state
 2-1     to state and from facility to facility; such differences may cause
 2-2     unequal treatment, financial difficulty, and limitations to quality
 2-3     care among this nation's many deserving veterans; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, The VA guidelines on the provision of prescription
 2-5     drug benefits by state veterans homes are unclear and open to
 2-6     discretionary interpretation, which can act to significantly
 2-7     increase the cost of medications and put an additional burden on
 2-8     the State of Texas and its state veterans home program; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, The VA has advised that a veteran entering a state
2-10     veterans home surrenders the primary care relationship with his or
2-11     her VA physician, despite the fact that VA medical centers permit
2-12     the doctor-client relationship to continue; the consequence of this
2-13     loss is to subject veterans and their families to confusion and
2-14     economic hardship; and
2-15           WHEREAS, The Veterans' Land Board recognizes the need to
2-16     continue and expand the use of Texas state veterans homes to
2-17     provide quality skilled nursing care to veterans of all economic
2-18     levels and varying needs of health care; now, therefore, be it
2-19           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-20     hereby strongly urge the Congress of the United States to take
2-21     immediate steps to clarify its intent regarding the U.S. Department
2-22     of Veterans Affairs guidelines for veterans care in the 50 states,
2-23     and to remove any ambiguous language in current law that yields
2-24     varied and unequal interpretations; and, be it further
2-25           RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
2-26     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
2-27     the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of
 3-1     the senate of the United States Congress, and to all members of the
 3-2     Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
 3-3     resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
 3-4     memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.