44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

REQUESTING CONSIDERATION OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE NEEDS OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS EMPLOYED BY PRIVATE SCHOOL BUS CONTRACTORS.

WHEREAS, it is the health policy of the state of New Mexico that all New Mexicans have access to affordable, culturally appropriate basic health services regardless of their socio-economic status; and

WHEREAS, roughly twenty-one percent of New Mexicans have no health insurance; and

WHEREAS, Senate Joint Memorial 48 of this second session of the forty-fourth legislature requests a legislative study of the existing health care delivery and finance system in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, public school employees have access to health care insurance through the New Mexico public school insurance authority; and

WHEREAS, lower-paid school employees have insurance available through the authority and contribute a smaller percentage of their premium costs than higher paid employees; and

WHEREAS, approximately two-thirds of our school bus drivers are school employees and eligible for this health insurance plan; and

WHEREAS, most employees of school bus contractors are not eligible for low-cost public school health insurance and are unable to afford private health insurance; and

WHEREAS, there exists a great inequity between school bus drivers employed by school districts and school bus drivers employed by private school bus contractors;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the appropriate interim legislative committee to which the New Mexico legislative council assigns the study required by Senate Joint Memorial 48, if passed, consider in its review of health care access the health insurance needs of employees of private school bus contractors; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico legislative council for forwarding to the appropriate interim legislative committee.