The state Senate in California has moved forward with a bill to provide tax-paid health care for illegal immigrants.
The measure, if ultimately passed into law, would allow many of the state's illegal residents to tap into special health-care programs that provide the same benefits as the subsidized Medi-Cal program.
An estimated two million illegals currently reside in California, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"We are talking about our friends," said Sen. Ricardo Lara, the Los Angeles Times reported. "We are talking about our neighbors and our families who are denied basic healthcare in the richest state of this union."
The way the bill would work is 244,000 minor-aged illegals would first be given the right to sign up for Medi-Cal. Then, low-income adult-aged illegals would then be offered a separate health care program that provides the same treatments and services as Medi-Cal.
Lara said he was concerned illegals were being forced to stand in long lines in emergency rooms.
"Many often forgo medical care because of the fear of medical debt," he said.
The Senate passed the bill 28-11.