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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The United States-Mexico border is the busiest |
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international border in the world, with more than a million legal |
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northbound crossings each day; this continual movement and a rapid |
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expansion in population are placing unique pressures on the public |
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health care system in the border region; and |
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WHEREAS, In Texas, local public health entities in small |
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border communities confront a disproportionate number of serious |
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issues; the American Medical Association has characterized the |
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border area as a fertile ground for the development of infectious |
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diseases such as hepatitis; rates of hepatitis A there are three |
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times higher than in the rest of the United States, and in some |
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2,300 colonias, the rates of salmonella and shigella infection are |
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four times higher than elsewhere in the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, The fluidity of the large and diverse migrant |
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population increases the incidence of such communicable diseases as |
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HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis; moreover, approximately nine percent of |
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TB cases in border areas involve strains resistant to at least one |
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of the initial treatments; local public health care providers must |
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function as the nation's first line of defense against infectious |
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diseases, which also include multidrug-resistant infections and |
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such vector-borne diseases as dengue fever and West Nile virus; and |
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WHEREAS, Environmental hazards related to air and water |
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pollution and the use of pesticides are likewise of great concern, |
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as is inadequate protection of the food supply; more than a third of |
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families in the border region have incomes below the federal |
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poverty level, and the border counties struggle with a high |
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incidence of such serious chronic illnesses as diabetes and |
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hypertension, as well as respiratory and gastrointestinal |
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ailments; a large percentage of the population lacks health |
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insurance, and access to health care is further limited by the |
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dearth of facilities and shortage of medical professionals; most |
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border communities have been designated as Health Professions |
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Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Areas; and |
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WHEREAS, Public health initiatives and agencies in the border |
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region suffer from chronic underfunding due to federal formulas |
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based on raw population numbers rather than need or strategic |
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importance in such realms as emerging disease control; although |
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area public health professionals have responded quickly to recent |
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threats, the continued effectiveness of the public health care |
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system requires greater financial support for detection, |
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laboratory testing, isolation, quarantine, and infection control; |
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because biological and medical hazards do not respect political |
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boundaries, it is also essential to upgrade communications |
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equipment and services for the rapid exchange of information |
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between communities in the United States and Mexico; and |
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WHEREAS, The disparity between public health needs and |
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resources has reached a critical stage along the Texas-Mexico |
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border; in order to address severe deficiencies in a comprehensive |
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and targeted manner, a United States Department of Health and Human |
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Services region should be established for the border counties, |
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ensuring an appropriate level of dedicated funding; the sustained |
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and efficient allocation of federal resources would support local |
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entities in their efforts to improve the health of the community and |
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allow area professionals to perform effectively in roles that are |
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vital to protecting the public and preventing the spread of disease |
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not just along the border, but throughout Texas and the rest of the |
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nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to direct the |
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish a public |
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health region for the counties along the Texas-Mexico border and to |
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dedicate an appropriate level of funding to meet the public health |
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challenges particular to border communities; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, to the secretary of the U.S. |
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Department of Health and Human Services, and to all the members of |
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the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |