SRC-JFA C.S.S.C.R. 19 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.S.C.R. 19
By: Truan
Health & Human Services
4-11-97
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST 

Currently, the new Federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996, better known as the Welfare Reform Law, denies
Medicaid benefits, access to Supplemental Security Income, and food stamps
to noncitizens of the Untied States. A conservative estimate of the total
negative economic impact from losses in federal aid arising out of the
Welfare Reform Act is approximately $1 billion.  This resolution would
request the United States Congress to amend federal law to encourage
citizenship of legal immigrants, to encourage schools and institutions of
higher education to teach and offer citizenship courses, to provide
enhanced citizenship training, to grant citizenship to descendants and
parents of persons who served two or more years in the United States armed
services, and to provide a waiver of citizenship requirements for the
elderly and disabled who have been in the country for 10 years or more. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.C.R. 19 submits the following resolutions:

To acknowledge the direct economic loss faced by legal immigrants due to
the changes enacted by federal welfare reform. 

To acknowledge the economic loss and the economic impact suffered by the
State of Texas due to the loss of Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income,
and food stamp benefits by legal immigrants residing within the borders of
this state. 

To request the United States Congress to amend federal law to encourage
citizenship of legal immigrants, to encourage schools and institutions of
higher education to teach and offer citizenship courses, to provide
enhanced citizenship training, to grant citizenship to descendants and
parents of persons who served two or more years in the United States armed
services, and to provide a waiver of citizenship requirements for the
elderly and disabled who have been in the country for 10 years or more. 

To forward official copies of this resolution to the president of the
United States, to the speaker of the house of representatives and
president of the senate of the United States Congress, and all the members
of the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that it be
entered officially into the Congressional Record as a memorial to the
Congress of the United States.  

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

Revises provisions relating to the Federal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconcilement Act of 1996, better known as the Welfare Reform
Law.  Requests the United States Congress to amend federal law to
encourage citizenship of legal immigrants, to encourage schools and
institutions of higher education to teach and offer citizenship courses,
to provide enhanced citizenship training, to grant citizenship to
descendants and parents of persons who served two or more years in the
United States armed services, and to provide a waiver of citizenship
requirements for the elderly and disabled who have been in the country for
10 years or more; rather than requesting the Congress of the United States
to amend federal law to allow legal aliens access to food stamp benefits.