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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Cote

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1-18-2007

HJM 5

SHORT TITLE FULL FEDERAL FUNDING OF MEDICAID

SB

ANALYST Dearing

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NFI

*Please see narrative

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files, Veterans’ Services Department, Veteran’s Administration, Library of Congress.

Responses Received From

Veterans’ Services Department (VA)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 5 urges Congress to fund all costs of medical care and attendant services

for children of Vietnam veterans affected with level-III cases of Spina Bifida. Under Public Law

104-204, the 104

th

Congress acknowledged the correlation of Spina Bifida in children of parents

exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

House Joint Memorial 5 has no fiscal implications at the state level.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

In addition to acknowledging the relation of exposure to herbicide and Spina Bifida in the

subsequent generation, the law authorized lifetime health services and disability payments paid

monthly for these children. Health issues independent of Spina Bifida do not qualify for health

services benefits under the federal legislation. Children affected with level-III Spina Bifida and

recognized by the United States department of Veterans’ Affairs number approximately two-

House Joint Memorial 5 – Page

2

hundred (200). Level-III sufferers have significant medical costs exceeding monthly federal

disability stipends and many require hospice or attendant health-care services, appliances, and

other treatments not covered under the current law.

Enactment of House Joint Memorial 5 would urge policymakers at the federal level to expand

total benefits to a small, sub-set of already acknowledged and recognized disabled children of

those exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

If enacted, copies of House Joint Memorial 5 need to be distributed to the New Mexico

congressional delegation, the chief clerks of the U.S. House and Senate, and to the U. S.

department of Veterans’ Affairs.

PD/mt