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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Religious liberty is a cornerstone on which our |
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nation was founded, and the right of individual conscience has also |
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long been held sacrosanct in this country; however, neither are |
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adequately addressed in the provisions of the Patient Protection |
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and Affordable Care Act of 2010; and |
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WHEREAS, The PPACA fails to make appropriate allowances for |
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the religious, moral, or ethical beliefs held by patients, groups, |
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employers, individual health care providers, health care |
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facilities such as hospitals, insurance providers, or purchasers of |
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health care insurance; and |
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WHEREAS, Religiously affiliated hospitals, clinics, nursing |
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homes, and other health facilities provide a substantial and |
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indispensable portion of health care services and are governed by |
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specific religious and moral codes central to their mission as |
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health care providers; moreover, health insurers strive to provide |
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flexible and diverse products to meet a wide variety of needs, and |
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they must be able to tailor their products to the religious, moral, |
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and ethical beliefs of their prospective customers; and |
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WHEREAS, While tremendous structural change is taking place |
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in the American health care system, it must not compromise the right |
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of participants to follow their beliefs; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact |
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comprehensive legislation to protect the religious liberty and |
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individual conscience rights of all participants involved in |
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accessing or providing of health care, favoring no set of beliefs |
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over another and ensuring that all may participate in the health |
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care system in a manner consistent with their beliefs and |
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conscience; 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 president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |