III

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 388

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 1, 2002

Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be

established a National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month, and for other purposes.

Whereas in 2000, the Surgeon General of the Public Health

Service announced as a goal the elimination by 2010 of

health disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minorities in health access and outcome in 6 areas: infant mortality, cancer screening, cardiovascular disease, diabetes,

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and human immunodeficiency virus infection, and immunizations;
2

HCON 388 RFS

Whereas despite notable progress in the overall health of the

Nation there are continuing health disparities in the burden of illness and death experienced by African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives,

Asians, and Pacific Islanders, compared to the United

States population as a whole;

Whereas minorities are more likely to die from cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, chemical dependency, diabetes,

infant mortality, violence, and, in recent years, acquired

immunodeficiency syndrome;

Whereas there is a national need for scientists in the fields

of biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and health services research to focus on how best to eliminate health disparities;

Whereas individuals such as underrepresented minorities and

women in the workforce enable society to address its diverse needs; and

Whereas behavioral and social sciences research has increased

awareness and understanding of factors associated with

health care utilization and access, patient attitudes toward health services, and risk and protective behaviors

that affect health and illness, and these factors have the

potential to be modified to help close the health disparities gap among ethnic minority populations: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) a National Minority Health and Health Dis4 parities Month should be established to promote

5 educational efforts on the health problems currently
3

HCON 388 RFS

1 facing minorities and other health disparity popu2 lations;

3 (2) the Secretary of Health and Human serv4 ices should, as authorized by the Minority Health

5 and Health Disparities Research and Education Act

6 of 2000, present public service announcements on

7 health promotion and disease prevention among mi8 norities and other health disparity populations in the

9 United States and educate the public and health

10 care professionals about health disparities;

11 (3) the President should issue a proclamation

12 recognizing the immediate need to reduce health dis13 parities in the United States and encouraging all

14 health organizations and Americans to conduct ap15 propriate programs and activities to promote health16 fulness in minority and other health disparity com17 munities;

18 (4) Federal, State, and local governments

19 should work in concert with the private and non20 profit sector to emphasize the recruitment and re21 tention of qualified individuals from racial, ethnic,

22 and gender groups that are currently underrep23 resented in health care professions;

24 (5) the Agency for Healthcare Research and

25 Quality should continue to collect and report data on
4

HCON 388 RFS

1 health care access and utilization on patients by

2 race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and where pos3 sible, primary language, as authorized by the Minor4 ity Health and Health Disparities Research and

5 Education Act of 2000, to monitor the Nation’s

6 progress toward the elimination of health care dis7 parities; and

8 (6) the information gained from research about

9 factors associated with health care utilization and

10 access, patient attitudes toward health services, and

11 risk and protective behaviors that affect health and

12 illness, should be disseminated to all health care pro13 fessionals so that they may better communicate with

14 all patients, regardless of race or ethnicity, without

15 bias or prejudice.

Passed the House of Representatives April 30, 2002.

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.