1-1  By:  Moncrief                                         S.C.R. No. 38
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed January 31, 1995; February 2, 1995,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human
    1-4  Services; March 22, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:
    1-5  Yeas 7, Nays 0; March 22, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                     SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-7        WHEREAS, Family violence is a severe problem in Texas,
    1-8  accounting for more than 22 percent of violent crime in the state;
    1-9  and
   1-10        WHEREAS, Victims of family violence are frequently
   1-11  handicapped in their efforts to leave their abusers because of lack
   1-12  of support and shelter; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, Current restrictions on food stamp applications may
   1-14  force some victims to return to their abusers due to requirements
   1-15  that a victim must seek and obtain refuge in a battered women's
   1-16  shelter to qualify for immediate reissuance of food stamps; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, In all of Texas there are only 62 full-service
   1-18  battered women's shelters, and these are frequently too crowded to
   1-19  accept new victims; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, The current federal policy frequently punishes
   1-21  victims of family violence; now, therefore, be it
   1-22        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   1-23  hereby memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact
   1-24  legislation to amend the food stamp program by adding a special
   1-25  provision to allow food stamp workers to reissue food stamp
   1-26  benefits to family members fleeing from domestic violence,
   1-27  regardless of where they seek refuge, provided the families present
   1-28  evidence that they were or are victims of domestic violence; and,
   1-29  be it further
   1-30        RESOLVED, That the Texas Secretary of State forward official
   1-31  copies of this resolution to the President of the United States,
   1-32  the president of the senate and speaker of the house of
   1-33  representatives of the United States Congress, and all members of
   1-34  the Texas delegation to the Congress with the request that this
   1-35  resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to
   1-36  the Congress of the United States.
   1-37                               * * * * *