IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 240
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should 
be established a National Community Health Center Week to raise aware-
ness of health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, 
and homeless health centers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 19, 2003
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself, Mr. BONILLA, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and Mr. 
CAPUANO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
there should be established a National Community 
Health Center Week to raise awareness of health services 
provided by community, migrant, public housing, and 
homeless health centers, and for other purposes.
Whereas community, migrant, public housing, and homeless 
health centers are nonprofit, community owned and oper-
ated health providers and are vital to the Nation’s com-
munities; 
Whereas there are more than 1,000 such health centers serv-
ing 13,000,000 people at more than 4,000 health delivery 
sites, spanning urban and rural communities in all 50
•HRES 240 IH 
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and 
the Virgin Islands; 
Whereas such health centers have provided cost-effective, 
high-quality health care to the Nation’s poor and medi-
cally underserved (including the working poor, the unin-
sured, and many high-risk and vulnerable populations), 
acting as a vital safety net in the Nation’s health delivery 
system, meeting escalating health needs, and reducing 
health disparities; 
Whereas these health centers provide care to 1 of every 5 
low-income babies born in America, 1 of every 8 unin-
sured individuals, 1 of every 9 Medicaid beneficiaries, 1 
of every 9 people of color, and 1 of every 10 rural Ameri-
cans, and these Americans would otherwise lack access to 
health care; 
Whereas these health centers and other innovative programs 
in primary and preventive care reach out to almost 
750,000 homeless persons and nearly 850,000 farm-
workers; 
Whereas these health centers make health care responsive 
and cost effective by integrating the delivery of primary 
care with aggressive outreach, patient education, trans-
lation, and enabling support services; 
Whereas these health centers increase the use of preventive 
health services such as immunizations, Pap smears, 
mammograms, and glaucoma screenings; 
Whereas in communities served by these health centers, in-
fant mortality rates have been reduced between 10 and 
40 percent; 
Whereas these health centers are built by community initia-
tive;
•HRES 240 IH 
Whereas Federal grants provide seed money empowering 
communities to find partners and resources and to re-
cruit doctors and needed health professionals; 
Whereas Federal grants on average contribute 25 percent of 
such a health center’s budget, with the remainder pro-
vided by State and local governments, Medicare, Med-
icaid, private contributions, private insurance, and pa-
tient fees; 
Whereas these health centers are community oriented and pa-
tient focused; 
Whereas these health centers tailor their services to fit the 
special needs and priorities of communities, working to-
gether with schools, businesses, churches, community or-
ganizations, foundations, and State and local govern-
ments; 
Whereas these health centers contribute to the health and 
well-being of their communities by keeping children 
healthy and in school and helping adults remain produc-
tive and on the job; 
Whereas these health centers engage citizen participation and 
provide jobs for 60,000 community residents; and 
Whereas the establishment of a National Community Health 
Center Week for the week beginning on August 10, 2003, 
would raise awareness of the health services provided by 
these health centers: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that—
(1) there should be established a National Com-
munity Health Center Week to raise awareness of
•HRES 240 IH 
health services provided by community, migrant, 
public housing, and homeless health centers; and 
(2) the President should issue a proclamation 
calling on the people of the United States and inter-
ested organizations to observe such a week with ap-
propriate programs and activities.
Æ