By Truan                                        S.C.R. No. 21

      75R5073 RNS-D                           

                                CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

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

 1-3     noncitizens who are legal residents of the United States, with

 1-4     certain exceptions, for a period of five years after their entry

 1-5     into this country; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, Many individuals who will be denied basic benefits

 1-7     under the  Act work, pay taxes, and assume the burdens and

 1-8     responsibilities of civic life; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, Persons who are elderly, disabled, and incapable of

1-10     caring for themselves, along with young children and pregnant

1-11     women, may also be denied health care because of new rules "to

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

1-13     immigration 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     and it is manifestly unjust to require noncitizens to pay taxes and

1-17     contribute to the public good but deny them even minimal public

1-18     assistance; and

1-19           WHEREAS, It is unworthy of a great nation to turn its back on

1-20     those who are most vulnerable simply because they will reside here

1-21     as our guests and not as fellow citizens; now, therefore, be it

1-22           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-23     hereby respectfully request the Congress of the United States to

1-24     amend federal law to allow legal aliens access to Medicaid

 2-1     benefits; and, be it further

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

 2-3     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to

 2-4     the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of

 2-5     the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of

 2-6     the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this

 2-7     resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a

 2-8     memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.