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.