IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 142

To express the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal 

investment in programs that provide health care services to uninsured 

and low-income individuals in medically underserved areas should be 

increased to serve 20,000,000 individuals by 2006. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 13, 2003

Mr. CAPUANO (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. TOWNS, 

Mr. OLVER, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. BELL, Mr. 

ABERCROMBIE, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. MCNULTY, Ms. 

SLAUGHTER, Mr. CASE, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. LEE, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. 

GREENWOOD, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, 

Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. ROSS, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. 

SIMMONS, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. DOOLEY of California, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, and Mr. FILNER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION

To express the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the Federal investment in programs that provide health 

care services to uninsured and low-income individuals 

in medically underserved areas should be increased to 

serve 20,000,000 individuals by 2006.

Whereas the uninsured population in the United States is approximately 43,000,000 and is estimated to reach over 

53,000,000 by 2007; 
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•HRES 142 IH 

Whereas nearly 80 percent of the uninsured population consists of members of working families who cannot afford 

health insurance or cannot access employer-provided 

health insurance plans; 

Whereas minority populations, rural residents, and singleparent families represent a disproportionate number of 

the uninsured population; 

Whereas the problem of health care access for the uninsured 

population is compounded in many urban and rural communities by a lack of providers who are available to serve 

both insured and uninsured populations; 

Whereas community, migrant, homeless, and public housing 

health centers have proven uniquely qualified to address 

the lack of adequate health care services for uninsured 

populations, serving more than 5,000,000 uninsured patients in 2002; 

Whereas health centers care for nearly 14,000,000 patients, 

including nearly 9,000,000 minorities, nearly 850,000 

farmworkers, and almost 750,000 homeless individuals 

each year; 

Whereas health centers provide cost-effective comprehensive 

primary and preventive care to uninsured individuals for 

approximately $1.00 per day, or $350 annually, and help 

to reduce the inappropriate use of costly emergency 

rooms and inpatient hospital care; 

Whereas current resources only allow health centers to serve 

more than 12 percent of the Nation’s 43,000,000 uninsured individuals; 

Whereas past investments to increase health center access 

have resulted in better health, an improved quality of life 
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•HRES 142 IH 

for all Americans, and a reduction in national health care 

expenditures; 

Whereas Congress can act now to increase access to health 

care services for uninsured and low-income people together with or in advance of health care coverage proposals by expanding the availability of services at community, migrant, homeless, and public housing health centers; and 

Whereas the President has proposed to double the number of 

people served by health centers: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Resolution to 

4 Expand Access to Community Health Centers Initiative’’. 

5 SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 

6 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that 

7 appropriations for consolidated health centers under sec8 tion 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

9 254b) should be increased by 100 percent during the pe10 riod of fiscal years 2001 through 2006 in order to double 

11 the number of individuals who receive health care services 

12 at community, migrant, homeless, and public housing 

13 health centers.

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