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                                                                  H.R. No. 108



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, In January 2002, the police departments of the 
cities of Dallas and Fort Worth joined together to launch the 
"Communities Banking for Safety:  Seguridad Bancaria" program to 
protect Texans of Hispanic descent from robberies and residential 
burglaries; the pronounced success of this program led the 
Arlington Police Department to follow suit in November of that same 
year; and
	WHEREAS, Working in conjunction with the staff of the Mexican 
Consulate, these forward-thinking police departments have truly 
taken the initiative in our state's fight against crime; studies 
indicate that Hispanic residents are more likely than Texans of any 
other ethnic group to fall victim to crimes involving monetary 
theft, possibly due to a tendency to carry large sums of cash 
resulting from obstacles faced by individuals seeking to open bank 
accounts without traditionally accepted forms of identification; 
and
	WHEREAS, The Seguridad Bancaria program combats these 
dangers by providing information on crime prevention and financial 
safety and, in collaboration with many leading banks and financial 
service companies, has already helped to lessen the incidence of 
theft within the Hispanic community; among the organizations that 
have joined forces with the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington 
police departments in this significant effort are Univision, the 
Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Worth 
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Dallas District of the U.S. 
Immigration and Naturalization Service; and
	WHEREAS, The program has also won more widespread acceptance 
in the community for the Mexican Consulate's identification card, 
the Matricula Consular, an official form of documentation that has 
helped Mexican nationals who live in Texas to open bank accounts, 
apply for power and water services, participate in city programs, 
and establish a strong and secure financial foundation for their 
families; and
	WHEREAS, By allowing individuals with forms of 
nontraditional identification, such as the Matricula Consular, to 
open bank accounts and by providing Hispanics with other important 
information, the entities involved in the Seguridad Bancaria 
program are promoting not only greater safety among these valued 
members of the Lone Star community, but greater economic 
opportunity as well, and the many outstanding Texans associated 
with the program are indeed worthy of special recognition for the 
creativity and commitment they have brought to bear on a 
significant crime problem in our state; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby commend all those who have made the Seguridad 
Bancaria program a resounding success in the prevention of crime in 
the communities of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington; and, be it 
further
	RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared 
for the police departments of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington as 
an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                          Alonzo

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 108 was adopted by the House on August 
13, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House