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103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2305
To authorize and encourage the President to conclude an agreement with
Mexico to establish a United States-Mexico Border Health Commission.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 27, 1993
Mr. COLEMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the
Committees on Foreign Affairs and Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To authorize and encourage the President to conclude an
agreement with Mexico to establish a United States-
Mexico Border Health Commission.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH BINATIONAL COM-
MISSION.
The President is authorized and encouraged to con-
clude an agreement with Mexico to establish a binational
commission to be known as the United States-Mexico Bor-
der Health Commission.
SEC. 2. DUTIES.
It should be the duty of the Commission—
(1) to conduct a comprehensive needs assess-
ment in the United States-Mexico border area for
the purposes of identifying, evaluating, preventing,
and resolving health problems that affect the general
population of the area;
(2) to implement the actions recommended by
the needs assessment by—
(A) assisting in the coordination of the ef-
forts of public and private persons to prevent
and resolve such health problems,
(B) assisting in the coordination of the ef-
forts of public and private persons to educate
such population concerning such health prob-
lems, and
(C) developing and implementing programs
to prevent and resolve such health problems
and to educate such population concerning such
health problems where a program is necessary
to meet a need that is not being met by the ef-
forts of other public or private persons; and
(3) to formulate recommendations to the Gov-
ernments of the United States and Mexico concern-
ing a fair and reasonable method by which the gov-
ernment of one country would reimburse a public or
private person in the other country for the cost of
a health care service that the person furnishes to a
citizen or resident alien of the first country who is
unable, through insurance or otherwise, to pay for
the service.
SEC. 3. OTHER AUTHORIZED FUNCTIONS.
In addition to the duties described in section 2, the
Commission should be authorized to perform the following
additional functions as the Commission determines to be
appropriate:
(1) To conduct or sponsor investigations, re-
search, or studies designed to identify, study, and
monitor health problems that affect the general pop-
ulation in the United States-Mexico border area.
(2) To provide financial, technical, or adminis-
trative assistance to public or private persons who
act to prevent, resolve, or educate such population
concerning such health problems.
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT OF UNITED STATES
SECTION.—The United States section of the Commission
should be composed of 13 members. The section should
consist of the following members:
(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices or such individual’s delegate.
(2) The commissioners of health from the
States of Texas, New Mexico, California, and Ari-
zona or such individuals’ delegates.
(3) 2 individuals from each of the States of
Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona who are
nominated by the chief executive officer of one of
such States and are appointed by the President from
among individuals—
(A) who have a demonstrated interest in
health issues of the United States-Mexico bor-
der area; and
(B) whose name appears on a list of 6
nominees submitted to the President by the
chief executive officer of the State where the
nominees resides.
(b) COMMISSIONER.—The Commissioner of the Unit-
ed States section of the Commission should be the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services or such individual’s
delegate to the Commission. The Commissioner should be
the leader of the section.
SEC. 5. REGIONAL OFFICES.
The Commission should establish no fewer than 2 re-
gional border offices in locations selected by the Commis-
sion.
SEC. 6. REPORTS.
Not later than February 1 of each year that occurs
more than 1 year after the date of the establishment of
the Commission, the Commission should submit an annual
report to both the United States Government and the Gov-
ernment of Mexico regarding all activities of the Commis-
sion during the preceding calendar year.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’
means the United States-Mexico Border Health
Commission authorized in section 1.
(2) HEALTH
PROBLEM.—The term ‘‘health
problem’’ means a disease or medical ailment or an
environmental condition that poses the risk of dis-
ease or medical ailment. The term includes diseases,
ailments, or risks of disease or ailment caused by or
related to environmental factors, control of animals
and rabies, control of insect and rodent vectors, dis-
posal of solid and hazardous waste, and control and
monitoring of air and water quality.
(3) RESIDENT
ALIEN.—The term ‘‘resident
alien’’, when used in reference to a country, means
an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence
to the country or otherwise permanently residing in
the country under color of law (including residence
as an asylee, refugee, or parolee).
(4) UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER AREA.—
The term ‘‘United States-Mexico border area’’
means the area located in the United States and
Mexico within 100 kilometers of the border between
the United States and Mexico.
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