1-1     By:  Shapleigh                                         S.C.R. No. 8
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 11, 2001; January 16, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce;
 1-4     March 29, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 29, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-7           WHEREAS, Over 50 million private vehicles passed through
 1-8     ports of entry on the Texas-Mexico border in federal fiscal year
 1-9     2000, and the number of private vehicle crossings is projected to
1-10     continue to increase; and
1-11           WHEREAS, Many of these private vehicles are driven by
1-12     commuters who cross the border routinely for work, business,
1-13     shopping, or to visit family; and
1-14           WHEREAS, The wait for private vehicles to pass through border
1-15     checkpoints varies from a few minutes to a few hours, and waits are
1-16     even longer during peak times; and
1-17           WHEREAS, It is vital to the economies of the United States,
1-18     Mexico, and the border communities that there be a free flow of
1-19     traffic, including both cargo trucks and private vehicles, across
1-20     the border; long waits at ports of entry discourage both private
1-21     and commercial travel and deprive communities on both sides of the
1-22     border of the economic benefits to be gained by connections between
1-23     the United States and Mexico; and
1-24           WHEREAS, Dedicated Commuter Lanes (DCLs) have been in place
1-25     at ports of entry on the United States-Canada border for many
1-26     years, and are currently being used on the United States-Mexico
1-27     border in Otay Mesa, California, and in El Paso; waiting times for
1-28     DCL participants at these ports of entry are rarely more than a few
1-29     minutes; and
1-30           WHEREAS, DCLs are designated traffic lanes at border
1-31     checkpoints that are restricted to the vehicles of frequent border
1-32     travelers who have passed rigorous background checks that qualify
1-33     them for expedited entry and minimal inspection; their vehicles are
1-34     equipped with electronic tags that signal the identity of the
1-35     driver and authorized passengers to border personnel, allowing them
1-36     to be processed quickly; those cleared to participate are assessed
1-37     an annual fee for the privilege of using the lanes; and
1-38           WHEREAS, Out of more than a half-million vehicular entries at
1-39     Otay Mesa and despite frequent random compliance checks of DCL
1-40     users, federal officers did not detect any illegal aliens or drugs
1-41     coming through the dedicated lanes; and
1-42           WHEREAS, The automated nature of the DCLs frees up resources
1-43     to reduce the illegal movement of people and prohibited goods into
1-44     the United States; DCLs encourage commerce and legal entries, while
1-45     deterring port runners and other immigration violators and have
1-46     proven to strike a highly effective balance between enforcement and
1-47     facilitation; fewer vehicles waiting in traffic also means less
1-48     emissions and less pollution; now, therefore, be it
1-49           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
1-50     hereby request the Texas Department of Transportation to assist
1-51     local efforts and to work with the federal government to establish
1-52     Dedicated Commuter Lanes at Texas-Mexico border crossings in order
1-53     to facilitate cross-border employment and the free movement of
1-54     people and goods; and, be it further
1-55           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
1-56     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the Texas
1-57     Department of Transportation.
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