RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, on September 11, 2001, the United States of America was brutally attacked in acts of terror and war as hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon, and the Pennsylvania countryside; and

WHEREAS, these attacks resulted in the loss of thousands of innocent lives and, both directly and indirectly, victimized millions of Americans; and

WHEREAS, many of those who lost their lives were the main source of income for their families and were depended upon for the provision of medical insurance and other daily necessities; and

WHEREAS, because of the understandable concern and fear of travelers, increased security measures, and severe flight delays, these acts of terror have had a devastating effect on the airline industry, causing some carriers to decrease their flight schedules by 25 percent or more to avoid economic failure; and

WHEREAS, these acts created a ripple effect felt throughout the national economy, unexpectedly affecting millions of citizens through layoffs and causing unemployment rates to rise sharply after the September 11th attacks; and

WHEREAS, this loss of employment resulted in further anguish for the citizens of the United States as many of the newly unemployed also lost their medical insurance coverage, directly affecting the health, safety, and well-being of not only themselves, but also their families; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii, an island state dependent upon the airline industry for much of its economic well-being, felt the repercussions of this devastation as both the number of flights and the number of tourists coming to these islands decreased dramatically, creating a trickle down effect, causing the filing of initial unemployment claims to triple, and damaging an already fragile economy; and

WHEREAS, the President, his administration, and the Congress of the United States have already provided emergency appropriations for disaster-related assistance and for the aviation industry, and are considering legislation to assist individuals in obtaining emergency medical assistance along with the extension of unemployment benefits; and

WHEREAS, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 made it possible for unemployed workers, their spouses, and their children to remain on a former employer's health plan for a set period of time; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that Congress, the President, and his administration support legislation to assist workers, unemployed as a result of these terrorist acts, in obtaining affordable emergency medical assistance whether through COBRA extensions; COBRA premium support through federal reimbursement on a sliding fee scale basis; Medicaid assistance; or similar initiatives; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Third Special Session of 2001, the House of Representatives concurring, that Hawaii's Congressional delegation and the Congress of the United States are requested to introduce or support legislation for the provision of emergency medical assistance for those workers displaced as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and

Report Title:

Supporting federal legislation for displaced workers' emergency medical assistance.