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78R10269 RVH-D

By:  Noriega                                                    H.C.R. No. 156



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Defense 
there are more than 37,000 legal, permanent residents serving on 
active duty who are or may soon be entering combat in the Persian 
Gulf; and
	WHEREAS, It is a remarkable display of loyalty to the ideals 
of a democracy and freedom that these brave young men and women 
prepare to defend our country against aggression overseas despite 
not being recognized as U.S. citizens and not being able to share in 
the full rights and privileges enjoyed by our fellow Americans; and
	WHEREAS, The United States Congress has the opportunity to 
help these brave residents gain U.S. citizenship by enacting House 
Bill H.R. 1275, the Citizenship For America's Troops Act; and
	WHEREAS, The Citizenship For America's Troops Act reduces 
from three years to two years the amount of military service 
required for legal, permanent residents to qualify for U.S. 
citizenship, and exempts them from paying all of the fees required 
by the naturalization application process; and
	WHEREAS, The Citizenship For America's Troops Act also allows 
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to conduct 
citizenship interviews and oath ceremonies for military personnel 
at embassies, consulates, and overseas military installations 
rather than requiring such interviews and ceremonies to take place 
within the United States; and
	WHEREAS, On July 3, 2002, President Bush signed an executive 
order to provide expedited naturalization for aliens and noncitizen 
nationals serving honorably on active-duty status in the Armed 
Forces of the United States during the war on terrorism; and
	WHEREAS, The executive order designated September 11, 2001, 
as the first day of a period of time in which exceptions from the 
usual requirements for naturalization were initiated; and
	WHEREAS, Given that this period of time has not been closed or 
terminated by a related executive order, the congress should take 
this window of opportunity to honor the desires of the legal, 
permanent noncitizens who, in fighting global terrorism on our 
behalf, have demonstrated a willingness to die for a country they 
cannot yet fully claim as their own; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas 
hereby respectfully request the Congress of the United States to 
enact House Bill H.R. 1275, the Citizenship For America's Troops 
Act; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 
the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the 
senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the 
Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this 
resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a 
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.