As adopted by Senate, December 18, 2020
senate Resolution No.158
Senator Runestad offered the following resolution:
Whereas, The COVID-19 Pandemic has greatly strained the United States' healthcare system. Hard hit areas have seen the number of patients surge and healthcare workers pushed to their limits. The crisis has exacerbated the nation's shortage of healthcare workers, particularly in rural areas; and
Whereas, Immigrant healthcare workers have long been a vital part of our nation's healthcare workforce but face restrictions on where they can practice. These doctors and nurses often fill posts in rural areas or jobs that would otherwise remain empty. However, those on H-1B visas face geographic restrictions and risk their immigration status if they practice outside of their local area; and
Whereas, The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act would provide critical support to our nation's healthcare system and improve our ability to combat the Pandemic by allowing more immigrant healthcare workers to practice in the United States. The bill would allocate up to 40,000 unused employment-based green cards from previous years to doctors and nurses. Workers granted green cards under the act would not be subject to geographic limitations and would be able to practice wherever they are needed; and
Whereas, The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act would also allow these critical healthcare workers a reprieve from immigration backlogs preventing them from receiving a green card. Since the act would give green cards without regard to per-country caps, doctors and nurses could avoid a years- or decades-long wait for one to become available; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.