[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 121 (Friday, September 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AMENDING TITLE XXI OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT REGARDING THE STATE 
                  CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM

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                               speech of

                        HON. W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2003

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, the House will unanimously pass a bi-
partisan bill, H.R. 2854, which will dramatically improve uninsured 
children's access to health care. This bill reflects a compromise 
negotiated with the other Chamber, which is supported by Senators 
Grassley and Baucus, along with Health Subcommittee Chairman Mike 
Bilirakis, and Ranking Members John Dingell and Sherrod Brown.
  H.R. 2854 will provide states with $2.7 billion to fund their SCHIP 
programs. The State Child Health Insurance Program is an extremely 
successful program that has enabled states to provide health coverage 
to over 5 million previously uninsured children. Under SCHIP each 
states gets a specified annual allotment of Federal dollars to be used 
to pay for children's health care, which the state can draw on for up 
to three years.
  Due to initial delays that many states encountered in establishing 
their SCHIP programs, significant percentages of several states' 
allotments from fiscal years 1998 through 2001 have gone unused. H.R. 
2854 will allow these states to retain a portion of these funds to 
enable them to provide additional coverage to uninsured children. Under 
H.R. 2954, states will be able to retain fiscal year 1998 and 1999 
reallocated funds through the end of fiscal year 2004 and allows states 
to retain 50 percent of their unspent allotments for fiscal years 2000 
and 2001.
  In addition, the bill also allows ten states that had been unable to 
spend all of their SCHIP allotments because of high Medicaid income 
eligibility levels to use up to 20 percent of their SCHIP allotments to 
pay for providing coverage for eligible children.

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