By Truan                                        S.C.R. No. 19

      75R5075 RNS-D                           

                                CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

 1-2     Reconciliation Act of 1996 denies food stamps and other benefits to

 1-3     most noncitizens who are legal residents of the United States; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, Many individuals who are denied basic benefits under

 1-5     the  Act are our neighbors and respected members of our communities

 1-6     who work, pay taxes, and assume the burdens and responsibilities of

 1-7     civic life; and

 1-8           WHEREAS, Persons who are elderly, disabled, and incapable of

 1-9     caring for themselves, along with young children and pregnant

1-10     women, may be denied food, as well as medicine and minimal

1-11     subsistence payments, in order to conform with new rules "to assure

1-12     that aliens be self-reliant in accordance with national immigration

1-13     policy"; and

1-14           WHEREAS, The consequences of denying the basic necessities of

1-15     life to those incapable of supporting themselves are unduly severe,

1-16     both to the individuals affected and to all the citizens of the

1-17     State of Texas; and

1-18           WHEREAS, Current estimates suggest that state and local

1-19     economies also will suffer substantial losses because 141,000 legal

1-20     immigrants residing in Texas are denied food stamp benefits; and

1-21           WHEREAS, It is unworthy of a great nation to turn its back on

1-22     those who are most vulnerable simply because they reside here as

1-23     our guests and not as fellow citizens; now, therefore, be it

1-24           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-1     hereby respectfully request the Congress of the United States to

 2-2     amend federal law to allow legal aliens access to food stamp

 2-3     benefits; and, be it further

 2-4           RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official

 2-5     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to

 2-6     the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of

 2-7     the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of

 2-8     the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this

 2-9     resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a

2-10     memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.