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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is charged |
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with ensuring the health and well-being of the nation's veterans, |
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but in recent years, its failure to adequately perform its mission |
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has 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, Choice, and Accountability Act, which |
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allows access to private medical care providers for veterans who |
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have been waiting more than 30 days for an appointment or who live |
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more than 40 miles from a VA facility; this law is set to expire in |
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2017; and |
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WHEREAS, By expanding the reforms of the Veterans Choice Act, |
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Congress can improve the VA system, broadening access to timely |
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health care while offering greater choice and flexibility to every |
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eligible veteran; experts have proposed allowing access to walk-in |
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clinics without preauthorization or copayment, expanding VA |
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pharmacy hours and telemedicine, and extending the Veterans Choice |
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Card program to permit all qualified veterans to see the doctor of |
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their choice; in addition, those who have studied the system |
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carefully encourage best-practices peer review for VA facilities; |
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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 enact |
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legislation to ensure that all veterans receive in a timely manner |
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the level of medical care that they have earned and that they so |
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richly deserve; 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. |