Bill Text: TX SCR15 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-15 - Left pending in committee [SCR15 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SCR15-Introduced.html
2013S0270-1 02/13/13 | ||
By: Uresti, et al. | S.C.R. No. 15 |
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WHEREAS, The United States of America is a nation of | ||
immigrants; and | ||
WHEREAS, The immigrant's story is woven into the social and | ||
cultural fabric of this nation; and | ||
WHEREAS, Our nation requires an immigration system that | ||
provides for public safety, national security, economic | ||
prosperity, and the wellbeing of all who live and work in the United | ||
States; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 is | ||
the last major piece of immigration legislation to be passed by the | ||
United States Congress; that legislation and subsequent piecemeal | ||
reforms fail to adequately address the challenges posed by | ||
immigration today; and | ||
WHEREAS, A January, 2013, poll conducted by the Associated | ||
Press shows that 62 percent of Americans support reform of the | ||
immigration system; and | ||
WHEREAS, There appears to be a renewed willingness in the | ||
United States Congress to reform our immigration system; and | ||
WHEREAS, An August, 2009, report by the CATO Institute found | ||
that immigration reform could lead to a $180 billion gain for United | ||
States households; and | ||
WHEREAS, A June, 2012, Fiscal Policy Institute report found | ||
that immigrants owned 18 percent of all small businesses in the | ||
United States in 2010, which was a higher percentage than the | ||
immigrant share of the population or labor force; and immigrant | ||
owned businesses employed 4.7 million people and had $776 billion | ||
in receipts in 2007; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found | ||
that undocumented immigrants have contributed over $1.6 billion in | ||
state and local taxes in 2010 alone; and | ||
WHEREAS, A 2010 report by the Economic Policy Institute found | ||
that immigration increased wages of native born workers from 1994 | ||
to 2007; and | ||
WHEREAS, A study by The Perryman Group found that Texas would | ||
lose $69.3 billion in economic activity, $30.8 billion in gross | ||
state product, and approximately 403,000 jobs if all undocumented | ||
immigrants were removed from the state; and | ||
WHEREAS, The 77th Legislature of the State of Texas granted | ||
in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, allowing over 22,000 | ||
students to realize their educational goals and contribute to the | ||
Texas economy; and | ||
WHEREAS, The United States requires secure borders to | ||
maintain its integrity as a sovereign nation; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby urge the United States Congress to thoughtfully and swiftly | ||
enact a comprehensive reform of our immigration system that | ||
provides undocumented immigrants a clear path to citizenship, | ||
promotes public safety, national security, economic prosperity, | ||
and the wellbeing of all those living and working in the United | ||
States; 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 | ||
president of the senate and the speaker of the house of | ||
representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the | ||
members of the Texas delegation to the congress. |