SRC-VRA S.C.R. 14 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.C.R. 14
78R562 CCK-DBy: Shapleigh
Health & Human Services
4/28/2003
As Filed


DIGEST

Immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases has been one of the
major public health achievements of the last century, but vigilance
against medical contagion remains a necessity and requires the nation to
address problems that recently have constricted rates of childhood
inoculation. During the first half of 2001, national shortages were
evident among vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, rubella, mumps,
and varicella.  Likewise, supply problems existed for vaccines for measles
and pneumococcal infection, and the national situation continues to be
subject to the threats of localized shortages or delays in vaccine
delivery to health providers.  The federal Vaccines for Children program
covers young people up to 18 years old who are eligible for Medicaid or
meet other specified criteria, but in Texas the plan does not cover
enrollees in the state's Children's Health Insurance Program because of
the choice of a separate state health plan rather than a Medicaid
expansion. 

PURPOSE 

As proposed, S.C.R. submits the following resolutions:

Grants that the 78th Legislature of Texas urge the congress of the United
States to take steps to address the vaccine supply shortage with respect
to childhood immunization schedules. Furthermore, it requests that the
congress pass legislation to require health plans under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act to cover all recommended vaccines of the
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.  Similarly it expresses the
need for the congress to eliminate the inconsistency that allows Medicaid
children to be eligible for the Vaccines for Children program but denies
eligibility in some cases to enrollees in the state's Children's Health
Insurance Program. Finally it resolves that the Texas secretary of state
forward official copies of this resolution to the president of the United
States, to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the house of
representatives of the United State Congress, and to all members of the
Texas delegation to the congress that this resolution be officially
entered in the Congressional Record as a Memorial to the Congress of the
United States of America.