IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 656 
Expressing the sense of the House that the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the Director of Indian Health Service, should 
maintain the current operating hours of the Wagner Service Unit until 
the Secretary submits to Congress a new report that accurately describes 
the current conditions at the Wagner Service Unit. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 31, 2006 
Ms. HERSETH (for herself and Mr. RAHALL) submitted the following resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House that the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, acting through the Director 
of Indian Health Service, should maintain the current 
operating hours of the Wagner Service Unit until the 
Secretary submits to Congress a new report that accu-
rately describes the current conditions at the Wagner 
Service Unit. 
Whereas the House reaffirms the policy that, as provided in 
section 3(a) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act 
(25 U.S.C. 1602(a)), ‘‘it is the policy of this Nation, in 
fulfillment of its special responsibilities and legal obliga-
•HRES 656 IH 
tion to the American Indian people, to assure the highest 
possible health status for Indians and urban Indians and 
to provide all resources necessary to effect that policy.’’; 
Whereas the House reaffirms the finding that, as provided in 
section 2(a) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act 
(25 U.S.C. 1601(a)), ‘‘Federal health services to main-
tain and improve the health of the Indians are consonant 
with and required by the Federal Government’s historical 
and unique legal relationship with, and resulting respon-
sibility to, the American Indian people.’’; 
Whereas the House reaffirms the finding that, as provided in 
section 2(c) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act 
(25 U.S.C. 1601(c)), ‘‘Federal health services to Indians 
have resulted in a reduction in the prevalence and inci-
dence of preventable illnesses among, and unnecessary 
and premature deaths of, Indians.’’; 
Whereas the House reaffirms the finding that, as provided in 
section 2(d) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act 
(25 U.S.C. 1601(d)), ‘‘Despite such services, the unmet 
health needs of the American Indian people are severe 
and the health status of the Indians is far below that of 
the general population of the United States.’’; 
Whereas the House reaffirms the policy, as provided in sec-
tion 301(b)(1) of the Indian Health Care Improvement 
Act (25 U.S.C. 1631(b)(1)), that— 
‘‘(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law other 
than this subsection, no Service hospital or outpatient 
health care facility of the Service, or any portion of such 
a hospital or facility, may be closed if the Secretary has 
not submitted to the Congress at least 1 year prior to the 
date such hospital or facility (or portion thereof) is pro-
posed to be closed an evaluation of the impact of such
•HRES 656 IH 
proposed closure which specifies, in addition to other con-
siderations— 
‘‘(A) the accessibility of alternative health care 
resources for the population served by such hospital 
or facility; 
‘‘(B) the cost effectiveness of such closure; 
‘‘(C) the quality of health care to be provided 
to the population served by such hospital or facility 
after such closure; 
‘‘(D) the availability of contract health care 
funds to maintain existing levels of service; 
‘‘(E) the views of the Indian tribes served by 
such hospital or facility concerning such closure; 
‘‘(F) the level of utilization of such hospital or 
facility by all eligible Indians; and 
‘‘(G) the distance between such hospital or fa-
cility and the nearest operating Service hospital.’’; 
Whereas the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Director of Indian Health Service, has pro-
posed that the operating hours of the Wagner Service 
Unit, which serves the Yankton Sioux Tribe and others, 
should be reduced from 24 hours per day to the hours 
between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.; 
Whereas the 1997 proposed closure report, submitted by the 
Secretary pursuant to section 301(b)(1) of the Indian 
Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1631(b)(1)), is 
currently out of date and no longer accurately represents 
the impact of such closure upon eligible Indians at the 
Wagner Service Unit; and 
Whereas, during the previous year, the Santee Sioux Tribe of 
Nebraska requested health care services formerly pro-
vided by the Indian Health Service under the Indian Self-
•HRES 656 IH 
Determination Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) from another 
provider, thereby removing ‘‘shares’’ from the Wagner 
Service Unit and creating a budgetary crisis that forced 
the facility to announce reductions in the operating hours 
of the emergency room: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House that— 
(1) pursuant to section 301(b)(1) of the Indian 
Health 
Care 
Improvement 
Act 
(25 
U.S.C. 
1631(b)(1)), the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the Director of Indian 
Health Services, should submit to Congress a new 
report that evaluates the impact of reduction in 
emergency room services at the Wagner Service Unit 
of the Indian Health Service; and 
(2) the Secretary should maintain the current 
operating hours of the Wagner Service Unit until 
the Secretary submits to Congress a report described 
in paragraph (1). 
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