Bill Text: TX SCR4 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 2nd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Directing the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Department of State Health Services to establish and maintain a system of guidance, coordination, and oversight to address hospital understaffing and ICU bed shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-08-13 - Filed [SCR4 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SCR4-Introduced.html
| By: Zaffirini | S.C.R. No. 4 | |
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| WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border spans 14 counties in the | ||
| State of Texas, and approximately 10 percent of the state's | ||
| population resides in a Texas-Mexico border county; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Millions of people rely on crossing the border to | ||
| access education, health care, retail, and other service industry | ||
| necessities, and these activities have a positive effect on the | ||
| economic stability of the region; the border generated more than | ||
| $350 billion in annual gross domestic product as of 2019, and trade | ||
| within the region represents more than 5 percent of Texas' gross | ||
| domestic product; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 2018, trade through the El Paso port of entry | ||
| affected approximately 165,000 net jobs in Texas and $25 billion in | ||
| gross domestic product; moreover, Port Laredo is the largest inland | ||
| trade port along the border, ranking third in the nation for total | ||
| trade in May 2021; across the United States, the Pharr-Reynosa | ||
| International Bridge is the second largest produce-crossing land | ||
| port, ensuring the efficient delivery of fresh fruits and | ||
| vegetables to all Americans; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border is a vibrant, thriving, | ||
| multicultural region that contributes to the richness and diversity | ||
| of our state and country; the majority of area residents are | ||
| Americans of at least partial Mexican descent, and the tri-national | ||
| region includes tribal nations such as the Kickapoo Traditional | ||
| Tribe of Texas and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of El Paso; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Border communities have long been recognized for | ||
| their steadfast commitment to safety; countless generations of | ||
| Texans have chosen to rear their families along the Texas-Mexico | ||
| border due to its peaceful community, and some of the safest cities | ||
| in the country include Brownsville, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, Laredo, | ||
| McAllen, and El Paso, which is known for Fort Bliss and its | ||
| significant military presence; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Multiple cities along the border have been honored | ||
| with the All-American City award; El Paso has won the award four | ||
| times, and Edinburg has won three times; other recipients of this | ||
| prestigious designation include McAllen, Mission, Hidalgo, Pharr, | ||
| and Weslaco; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border features an ecologically | ||
| diverse environment; the region's natural sites include the | ||
| Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Quinta Mazatlán, the | ||
| Butterfly Center, and Big Bend National Park, which attracts | ||
| numerous species of birds, plants, butterflies, bats, reptiles, and | ||
| ants; in addition, one of the state's symbols, the Texas red | ||
| grapefruit, is grown in the Rio Grande Valley; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Countless Texans benefit from the border region's | ||
| premier educational institutions, which include four-year | ||
| universities, junior colleges, and trade schools; more than 28,600 | ||
| students are enrolled in The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, | ||
| and the UTRGV School of Medicine currently serves hundreds of | ||
| medical students, medical residents, and fellows who participate in | ||
| hospital-based training programs; in Laredo, Texas A&M | ||
| International University and Laredo College are designated | ||
| Hispanic-Serving Institutions; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border region is playing a vital | ||
| role in the story of the Lone Star State, and it is indeed deserving | ||
| of special recognition; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas, | ||
| 1st Called Session, hereby recognize that the Texas-Mexico border | ||
| is vital to the economy, education, and character of our state, and | ||
| that the cities and counties along the Texas-Mexico border are | ||
| vibrant, prosperous, diverse, and safe communities. | ||
