H.C.R. No. 15
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Texas has long been a leader in recognizing and
rewarding the tremendous sacrifice of its veterans; and
WHEREAS, Home ownership in Texas is viewed by many as a
cherished component of the American Dream; and
WHEREAS, Enabling Texas veterans to achieve home ownership at
a lower cost is but a small reward for their faithful service while
in the U.S. Armed Forces; and
WHEREAS, In appreciation of this service on behalf of our
country, the states of Texas, California, Oregon, Alaska, and
Wisconsin have offered below-market interest rates on home loan
mortgages for decades; and
WHEREAS, This program has assisted more than a million
veterans in obtaining affordable housing and in making a better
life for themselves and their dependents; and
WHEREAS, Tax exempt bonds known as Qualified Veterans
Mortgage Bonds fund the majority of the home purchase and home
improvement loans made to veterans; and
WHEREAS, Current federal law governing the use of tax-exempt
bonds used to fund these loans, as contained in Section 143(I)(4) of
the Internal Revenue Code, unfairly limits these programs to only
those veterans who served prior to January 1, 1977; and
WHEREAS, This restriction unfairly prevents all veterans
serving on active duty after 1976 from using Qualified Veterans
Mortgage Bonds, including more than 500,000 men and women who
served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm and the 180,000 reservists
and National Guard members called up to serve our country since
September 11, 2001; and
WHEREAS, These courageous men and women are entitled to the
same benefits offered to their earlier comrades in arms, yet they
and their families are being denied the opportunity to use
Qualified Veterans Mortgage Bonds; and
WHEREAS, Despite the fact that removing the restriction would
not increase federal discretionary spending, Congress has not yet
remedied this discriminatory federal provision on behalf of these
deserving men and women; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas,
2nd Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the 109th Congress to
support the American Veterans Home Ownership Act of 2005, to
immediately remove the aforementioned discriminatory portion of
the Internal Revenue Code in order that today's veterans and their
families might enjoy the same benefits as their earlier
counterparts; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, 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 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.
Corte
Edwards
Leibowitz
Herrero
Craddick Geren Menendez
Allen of Harris Giddings Merritt
Allen of Dallas Gonzales Miller
Alonzo Gonzalez Toureilles Moreno of Harris
Anchia Goodman Moreno of El Paso
Anderson Goolsby Morrison
Bailey Griggs Mowery
Baxter Grusendorf Naishtat
Berman Guillen Nixon
Blake Haggerty Noriega
Bohac Hamilton Oliveira
Bonnen Hamric Olivo
Branch Hardcastle Orr
Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Otto
Brown of Brazos Hartnett Paxton
Burnam Hegar Pena
Callegari Herrero Phillips
Campbell Hilderbran Pickett
Casteel Hill Pitts
Castro Hochberg Puente
Chavez Hodge Quintanilla
Chisum Homer Raymond
Coleman Hope Reyna
Cook of Navarro Hopson Riddle
Cook of Colorado Howard Ritter
Corte Hughes Rodriguez
Crabb Hunter Rose
Crownover Hupp Seaman
Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Dallas Jackson Smith of Harris
Dawson Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Delisi Jones of Dallas Solis
Denny Keel Solomons
Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Strama
Driver Keffer of Eastland Straus
Dukes King of Parker Swinford
Dunnam King of Zavala Talton
Dutton Kolkhorst Taylor
Edwards Krusee Thompson
Eiland Kuempel Truitt
Eissler Laney Turner
Elkins Laubenberg Uresti
Escobar Leibowitz Van Arsdale
Farabee Luna Veasey
Farrar Madden Villarreal
Flores Martinez Vo
Flynn Martinez Fischer West
Frost McCall Wong
Gallego McClendon Woolley
Gattis McReynolds Zedler
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 15 was adopted by the House on
August 10, 2005, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 15 was adopted by the Senate on
August 15, 2005, by a viva-voce vote.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor