SM 1642                                          First Engrossed
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       20161642e1
       
    1                           Senate Memorial                         
    2         A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
    3         urging Congress to review and revise the Cuban
    4         Adjustment Act of 1966.
    5  
    6         WHEREAS, the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, Pub. L. No. 89
    7  732, 80 Stat. 1161, was enacted and subsequently amended to
    8  allow certain Cubans physically present in the United States to
    9  be treated as aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence,
   10  entitling them to become legal permanent residents after 1 year,
   11  and
   12         WHEREAS, this law provides Cuban immigrants with an
   13  advantage that immigrants of other nationalities do not have,
   14  and
   15         WHEREAS, at the time the law was enacted, the Cuban
   16  government was not recognized by the United States, the
   17  countries did not maintain diplomatic relations, travel between
   18  the countries was severely restricted, and Cuban immigrants were
   19  refugees from political oppression during the Cold War, and
   20         WHEREAS, travel between the United States and Cuba is now
   21  considerably less restricted, NOW, THEREFORE,
   22  
   23  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         That the Congress of the United States is urged to review
   26  and revise the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 to reflect the
   27  changes in the relationship between the United States and Cuba
   28  in the half century since its enactment. Specifically, the
   29  Congress of the United States should consider the circumstances
   30  under which Cuban immigrants are eligible to apply for social
   31  benefits as refugees under the wet foot, dry foot policy, taking
   32  into consideration the renewed diplomatic relations between the
   33  two nations.
   34         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
   35  dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
   36  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
   37  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of
   38  the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.