[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2848 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2848
To provide for Federal custody and Federal payment of costs of
emergency ambulance and medical services for aliens illegally
attempting to enter the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 24, 2003
Mr. Filner introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for Federal custody and Federal payment of costs of
emergency ambulance and medical services for aliens illegally
attempting to enter the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Pay for All Your Undocumented
Procedures (PAY UP!) Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. PROVIDING FOR FEDERAL CUSTODY AND FEDERAL PAYMENT OF COSTS OF
EMERGENCY AMBULANCE AND MEDICAL SERVICES FOR ALIENS
ILLEGALLY ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES.
(a) In General.--In the case described in subsection (b)--
(1) the border patrol officer or other Federal immigration
offical who sought or provided assistance to the alien, or such
other officer or official as the Secretary of Homeland Security
may designate, shall provide (to the extent practicable) for
securing custody of the alien before the alien departs from the
medical facility to which the alien is brought for emergency
services; and
(2) any such emergency services provided shall be treated
as if such services had been provided to the alien while under
the custody of such an officer and the provider of the
ambulance or other emergency services shall be entitled to
receive from the Secretary of Health and Human Services, from
amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, appropriate
reimbursement for the costs of such services, but only to the
extent that such costs are not otherwise reimbursed through any
Federal program and cannot be recovered from the alien or
another person.
Paragraph (2) of this subsection constitutes budget authority in
advance of appropriations Acts and represents the obligation of the
Federal Government to provide for the payment of amounts provided under
such paragraph.
(b) Case of Injured Alien Described.--A case described in this
subsection is the case of an alien injured while crossing a land or sea
border of United States without inspection or at any time or place
other than as designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security, if a
border patrol officer or other Federal immigration official provides
assistance in any form, directly or indirectly, in seeking or obtaining
emergency medical assistance, including contacting an ambulance service
for the transport of the alien to an appropriate medical facility for
the receipt of emergency services.
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