05/05/2006 02:00 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

          CSHJR 36(HES)-TAIWAN:  WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR FRED  DYSON announced  HJR 36 to  be up  for consideration.                                                               
Before the committee was CSHJR 36(HES).                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:02:16 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY  WILSON, sponsor  of HJR 36,  introduced her                                                               
staff member, Aaron Danielson.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
AARON   DANIELSON,  Intern   to   Representative  Peggy   Wilson,                                                               
presented the resolution  on behalf of the  sponsor. He explained                                                               
that HJR  36 urges Congress  to support  Taiwan in its  effort to                                                               
become an  observer at  the World Health  Assembly. Taiwan  has a                                                               
population of 23  million and becoming a  member would facilitate                                                               
access to beneficial information networks.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  DANIELSON emphasized  the importance  of networking  when he                                                               
related that China did not  allow officials from the World Health                                                               
Organization  (WHO) to  enter Taiwan  during  the SARS  outbreak.                                                               
That really  put Taiwan "out  of the  loop" with regard  to world                                                               
health issues,  he said.  Noting that avian  influenza is  a main                                                               
focus  in that  region of  the world  this year,  he said  Taiwan                                                               
wants to  be involved in furthering  information, identification,                                                               
and prevention of such pandemic diseases.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON arrived at 2:03:21 PM.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. DANIELSON said the U.S.  has traditionally been supportive of                                                               
Taiwan becoming  an observer  even though  it does  not recognize                                                               
Taiwan as  a separate country.  Observer status does  not include                                                               
the right  to voice opinions  or vote  on issues; it  would allow                                                               
involvement  in health  networks as  well as  the opportunity  to                                                               
listen and gather information for distribution.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:04:46 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DYSON recalled  that the  legislature  had passed  similar                                                               
resolutions several  times before  and that  the effort  had been                                                               
ongoing for 15 or 20 years.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  DANIELSON said  the effort  to become  an observer  has been                                                               
ongoing  since the  mid-1990s.  Prior to  that  Taiwan wanted  to                                                               
become a member, but China is adamantly opposed to that.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KIM  ELTON noted the  date today  and asked how  long the                                                               
May 2006 conference would last.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. DANIELSON replied  the Geneva meeting starts on May  14 or 15                                                               
and lasts about a week.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:05:28 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GREEN  moved  to  report  HJR  36  from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no  objection, CSHJR 36(HES)  was reported from  the Senate                                                               
Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.