Senate Resolution 105 PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY WARNSTADT, KREIMAN, BOLKCOM, BEALL, SENG, DEARDEN, 1 3 DVORSKY, CONNOLLY, KIBBIE, RAGAN, COURTNEY, DOTZLER, 1 4 FRAISE, GRONSTAL, STEWART, HORN, QUIRMBACH, HATCH, 1 5 McCOY, HOLVECK, and BLACK 1 6 A Resolution encouraging Congress to pass legislation 1 7 allowing National Guard and Reserve members 1 8 eligibility for TRICARE on a permanent basis. 1 9 WHEREAS, members of the National Guard and Reserve 1 10 have been called upon more routinely over the past two 1 11 years to perform combat and combat support missions 1 12 throughout the world; and 1 13 WHEREAS, historically, members of the National 1 14 Guard and Reserve and their families have been 1 15 eligible for health care coverage only upon 1 16 activation, but lost that coverage upon deactivation; 1 17 and 1 18 WHEREAS, based on a report of the United States 1 19 General Accounting Office, more than 20 percent of 1 20 National Guard and Reserve members have not had health 1 21 care coverage and 40 percent of members ages 19 to 35 1 22 have not had coverage; and 1 23 WHEREAS, lack of health care coverage adversely 1 24 impacts the medical and combat readiness of National 1 25 Guard and Reserve members, thereby lengthening the 1 26 mobilization process; and 1 27 WHEREAS, Congress recently passed the federal 1 28 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense 1 29 and for the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan of 1 30 2004 providing, in part, for the enrollment of 2 1 National Guard and Reserve members in the military 2 2 health care program known as TRICARE; and 2 3 WHEREAS, even though the Act finally provides 2 4 health care coverage to National Guard and Reserve 2 5 members on a cost=share basis, whether or not they are 2 6 on active duty, the Act is only effective until 2 7 September 30, 2004; NOW THEREFORE, 2 8 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the United 2 9 States Congress is encouraged to pass legislation to 2 10 allow members of the National Guard and Reserve to be 2 11 eligible for participation in TRICARE beyond September 2 12 30, 2004, on a permanent basis; and 2 13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That it is the intent of 2 14 the Senate that a copy of this Resolution be 2 15 distributed to members of the Iowa congressional 2 16 delegation. 2 17 LSB 5096XS 80 2 18 pf/sh/8