Senate Bill sb1506e2

    CS for SM 1506                                Second Engrossed



  1                         Senate Memorial

  2         A memorial to the Congress of the United

  3         States, urging Congress to timely reauthorize

  4         the State Children's Health Insurance Program

  5         to assure federal funding for the Florida

  6         Kidcare program.

  7  

  8         WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Florida

  9  regards the health of children to be of paramount importance

10  to families in the state, and

11         WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Florida

12  regards poor child health as a threat to the educational

13  achievement and social and psychological well-being of the

14  children of the State of Florida, and

15         WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Florida

16  considers protecting the health of children to be essential to

17  the well-being of Florida's youngest citizens and the quality

18  of life in the state, and

19         WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Florida

20  considers the Florida Kidcare program, which was created in

21  1998 and currently has 1,388,520 children enrolled in the

22  program, to be an integral part of the arrangements for health

23  benefits for the children of the State of Florida, and

24         WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Florida

25  recognizes the value of the Florida Kidcare program in

26  preserving child wellness, preventing and treating childhood

27  disease, improving health outcomes, and reducing overall

28  health costs, and

29         WHEREAS, the Legislature of the State of Florida

30  considers the federal funding available for the Florida

31  


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    CS for SM 1506                                Second Engrossed



 1  Kidcare program to be indispensable to providing health

 2  benefits for children of modest means, NOW, THEREFORE,

 3  

 4  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

 5  

 6         That the Legislature urges the members of the Florida

 7  delegation to the United States Congress to ensure that the

 8  Congress reauthorizes the State Children's Health Insurance

 9  Program (SCHIP) to continue to provide federal funding for the

10  Florida Kidcare program.

11         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges the

12  Governor to work with the Florida delegation to ensure that

13  SCHIP is reauthorized in a timely manner.

14         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges the

15  Governor to provide the assistance necessary to identify and

16  enroll children who qualify for Medicaid or the Florida

17  Kidcare program.

18         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature proclaims

19  that all components of state government should work together

20  with educators, health care providers, social workers, and

21  parents to ensure that all available public and private

22  assistance for providing health benefits to uninsured children

23  in this state be used to the maximum extent possible.

24         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

25  dispatched to the President of the United States, to the

26  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the

27  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of

28  the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.

29  

30  

31  


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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.