By Truan                                        S.C.R. No. 22

      75R5074 RNS-D                           

                                CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

 1-2     Reconciliation Act of 1996 denies Supplemental Security Income and

 1-3     other benefits to noncitizens who are legal residents of the United

 1-4     States, with certain exceptions; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, Many individuals who are denied basic benefits under

 1-6     the  Act are our neighbors and respected members of our communities

 1-7     who have worked, paid taxes, and assumed 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 should not be denied minimal subsistence

1-11     payments only because of new rules "to assure that aliens be

1-12     self-reliant in accordance with national immigration policy"; and

1-13           WHEREAS, The consequences of denying the basic necessities of

1-14     life to those incapable of supporting themselves are unduly severe,

1-15     both to the individuals affected and to all the citizens of the

1-16     State of Texas; and

1-17           WHEREAS, Current estimates suggest that state and local

1-18     economies will suffer a loss of around $130 million because  38,450

1-19     legal immigrants residing in Texas are denied Supplemental Security

1-20     Income; moreover, an additional $95 million will be lost because

1-21     37,300 persons who are no longer eligible for Supplemental Security

1-22     Income will also lose Medicaid eligibility; and

1-23           WHEREAS, It is unworthy of a great nation to turn its back on

1-24     those who are most vulnerable simply because they reside here as

 2-1     our guests and not as fellow citizens; now, therefore, be it

 2-2                  RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of

 2-3     Texas hereby respectfully request the Congress of the United States

 2-4     to amend federal law to allow legal aliens access to Supplemental

 2-5     Security Income where appropriate; and, be it further

 2-6           RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official

 2-7     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to

 2-8     the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of

 2-9     the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of

2-10     the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this

2-11     resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a

2-12     memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.