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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Since the "space race" of the 1960s, Texas has been |
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at the forefront of space exploration, discovery, and innovation, |
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and the state is sure to play an instrumental role in defining the |
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next phase of American involvement in space; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas is home to NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space |
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Center as well as more than 2,000 aerospace establishments; during |
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the 88th Session of the Texas Legislature, the Texas Space |
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Commission was established to strengthen the state's leadership in |
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aerospace activity, and the Texas Aerospace Research and Space |
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Economy Consortium was launched to serve as a forum for higher |
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education and industry experts seeking to advance the state's role |
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in space operations; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the |
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Texas Economic Development Corporation recognized Texas as a |
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powerhouse in the rapidly expanding private space sector; |
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commercial investment in space transportation has driven the need |
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for spaceport sites, operating environments, and infrastructure, |
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and Texas ranks second in the nation in the number of spaceport |
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locations; and |
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WHEREAS, Tax-exempt private activity bonds currently finance |
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a wide range of facilities, including airports, docks, and wharves, |
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which, like spaceports, serve as hubs for the transportation of |
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people and freight; the qualification of spaceports for tax-exempt |
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private activity bonds would encourage more investment in aerospace |
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infrastructure, benefiting both Texas and the nation as a whole; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The United States cannot afford to fall behind in |
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the highly competitive field of space operations, and making |
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spaceports eligible for tax-exempt private activity bonds would |
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help to ensure that the nation maintains its leadership in space |
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commerce; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to amend the |
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Internal Revenue Code to make spaceports eligible for tax-exempt |
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private activity bonds; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |