1-1     By:  Truan                                            S.C.R. No. 19

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 10, 1997; February 13, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human

 1-4     Services; April 14, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable

 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 1;

 1-6     April 14, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.C.R. No. 19                   By:  Nixon

 1-8                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-9           WHEREAS, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

1-10     Reconciliation Act of 1996, better known as the Welfare Reform Law,

1-11     denies Medicaid benefits, access to Supplemental Security Income,

1-12     and food stamps to noncitizens who are legal residents of the

1-13     United States, with certain exemptions; and

1-14           WHEREAS, Currently there are 37,300 legal immigrants residing

1-15     in Texas projected to lose Medicaid benefits due to welfare reform;

1-16     removal of these benefits will result in a direct economic loss to

1-17     the state of approximately $95 million and a negative indirect

1-18     economic impact of approximately $195 million; and

1-19           WHEREAS, There are 38,450 legal immigrants residing in Texas

1-20     projected to lose Supplemental Security Income; this change will

1-21     result in a direct economic loss of $130 million to Texas and an

1-22     indirect economic impact of $390 million; and

1-23           WHEREAS, There are a total of 141,000 legal immigrants

1-24     residing in Texas who are projected to lose their food stamp

1-25     benefits; the loss of food stamp benefits to those individuals will

1-26     result in a direct economic loss of some $122 million and an

1-27     indirect impact that could be as much as $366 million; and

1-28           WHEREAS, A conservative estimate of the total negative

1-29     indirect economic impact these losses will have on the State of

1-30     Texas is approximately $1 billion; now, therefore, be it

1-31           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-32     hereby acknowledge the direct economic loss faced by legal

1-33     immigrants due to the changes enacted by federal welfare reform;

1-34     and, be it further

1-35           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-36     hereby acknowledge the economic loss and the economic impact

1-37     suffered by the State of Texas due to the loss of Medicaid,

1-38     Supplemental Security Income, and food stamp benefits by legal

1-39     immigrants residing within the borders of this state; and, be it

1-40     further

1-41           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-42     hereby respectfully request the United States Congress to amend

1-43     federal law to encourage citizenship of legal immigrants, to

1-44     encourage schools and institutions of higher education to teach and

1-45     offer citizenship courses, to provide enhanced citizenship

1-46     training, to grant citizenship to descendants and parents of

1-47     persons who served two or more years in the United States armed

1-48     services, and to provide a waiver of citizenship requirements for

1-49     the elderly and disabled who have been in the country for 10 years

1-50     or more; and, be it further

1-51           RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official

1-52     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to

1-53     the speaker of the house of representatives and president of the

1-54     senate of the United States Congress, and to all members of the

1-55     Texas delegation to the congress with the request that it be

1-56     entered officially into the Congressional Record as a memorial to

1-57     the Congress of the United States of America.

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