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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Veterans Administration is charged with |
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ensuring the health and well-being of the nation's veterans, but in |
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recent years, its failure to adequately perform its mission has |
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been the source of scandal; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2014, the United States Congress responded to |
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unconscionable delays and denials of care at VA facilities by |
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passing the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, |
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Accountability, and Transparency Act, which allows access to |
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private medical care providers for veterans who have been waiting |
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more than 30 days for an appointment or who live more than 40 miles |
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from a VA facility; the law is set to expire in 2017, but U.S. |
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Senator John McCain of Arizona has filed the Care Veterans Deserve |
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Act of 2016, S.2896, which enhances and expands the major reforms of |
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the Veterans' Choice Act; and |
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WHEREAS, Provisions of S.2896 include allowing access to |
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walk-in clinics without preauthorization or copayment, the |
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expansion of VA pharmacy hours and telemedicine, and extending the |
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Veterans Choice Card program to permit all qualified veterans to |
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see the doctor of their choice; moreover, the bill encourages |
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best-practices peer review for VA facilities; the act would broaden |
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access to timely health care while offering greater choice and |
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flexibility to every eligible veteran; and |
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WHEREAS, Our nation's veterans have made enormous sacrifices |
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to guarantee our freedoms, and although the nation can never fully |
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repay its debt of gratitude, it can and should ensure timely access |
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to the highest quality of medical care; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to pass S.2896, |
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the Care Veterans Deserve Act of 2016; 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. |