Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HR2500 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	84R26262 BPG-D
2		-	By: Vo, Anchia, Koop, Wu, Button H.R. No. 2500
	1	+	H.R. No. 2500
3	2
4	3
5	4		R E S O L U T I O N
6	5		WHEREAS, The expansion of Taiwan's role in the international
7	6		community will enhance the important relationship between Taiwan
8	7		and the United States, which is supported by the common values of
9	8		freedom, democracy, rule of law, and a commitment to a free market
10	9		economy; and
11	10		WHEREAS, The United States ranks as Taiwan's 2nd largest
12	11		trading partner, and Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner of
13	12		the United States; bilateral trade in goods between the United
14	13		States and Taiwan reached $67.4 billion in 2014, and both nations
15	14		could make even greater economic gains through the establishment of
16	15		a bilateral investment agreement and a free trade agreement; and
17	16		WHEREAS, The close and dynamic partnership between Taiwan and
18	17		the United States could also be further strengthened by Taiwan's
19	18		inclusion in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as well as by Taiwan's
20	19		meaningful participation as an observer in the International Civil
21	20		Aviation Organization and in the United Nations Framework
22	21		Convention on Climate Change; and
23	22		WHEREAS, Taiwan has demonstrated leadership and a commitment
24	23		to advancing positive international relations through its East
25	24		China Sea Peace Initiative, proposed by President Ma Ying-jeou; the
26	25		initiative calls for all parties to the territorial disputes over
27	26		the Diaoyutai Islands to exercise restraint, reduce tensions, work
28	27		jointly and peacefully to develop the region economically, observe
29	28		international law, and establish a code of conduct in the region
30	29		that the United States and the European Union support in principle;
31	30		this initiative fosters peace and stability by encouraging
32	31		political and economic cooperation and the establishment of a
33	32		framework in which all parties can participate in bringing
34	33		prosperity to a troubled zone; and
35	34		WHEREAS, On June 13, 1988, the State of Texas and Taiwan
36	35		initiated a Sister State Agreement, and since that time, the
37	36		resulting bonds of friendship and goodwill have benefited Texas and
38	37		nurtured closer economic and cultural ties to Taiwan; Texas exports
39	38		to Taiwan reached $4.11 billion in 2014, a 1.43 percent increase
40	39		from 2013; Taiwan ranks as Texas' 13th largest export market
41	40		worldwide and its 5th largest export market in Asia; and
42	41		WHEREAS, To facilitate investment and trade opportunities,
43	42		the Texas House of Representatives authorized the Office of the
44	43		Governor to open a Texas trade office in Taiwan by adopting
45	44		Amendment No. 29 to amend the House Committee Substitute for Senate
46	45		Bill 1 in Article I on April 4, 2013; moreover, in the following
47	46		year, the Texas Department of Public Safety entered into an
48	47		agreement with the Taiwanese Ministry of Transportation and
49	48		Communications establishing reciprocity in the issuance of
50	49		driver's licenses for Texas applicants living in Taiwan and for
51	50		Taiwanese applicants living in Texas; and
52	51		WHEREAS, The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston,
53	52		guided by Director General Louis Min-Jing Huang, promotes exchanges
54	53		and cooperation in trade, investment, science, technology,
55	54		culture, education, and tourism; in addition, the office serves the
56	55		interests of many Taiwanese citizens living and traveling in the
57	56		area, and it provides consular services to those in need; and
58	57		WHEREAS, The positive relationship long enjoyed by the United
59	58		States and Taiwan contributes to the prosperity of both nations,
60	59		and the Lone Star State has a strong interest in promoting even
61	60		closer ties in the years to come; now, therefore, be it
62	61		RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
63	62		Legislature hereby commemorate the 27th anniversary of the Sister
64	63		State relationship between the State of Texas and Taiwan; and, be it
65	64		further
66	65		RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives support the
67	66		establishment of a Texas trade office in Taiwan and recognize the
68	67		benefits to business and travel created by the June 2014 mutual
69	68		agreement between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the
70	69		Taiwanese Ministry of Transportation and Communications on the
71	70		reciprocal issuance of driver's licenses; and, be it further
72	71		RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives express its
73	72		support for the expansion of Taiwan's role in the international
74	73		community and specifically endorse the propositions that Taiwan
75	74		sign a bilateral investment agreement and free trade agreement with
76	75		the United States, join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and
77	76		meaningfully participate as an observer in the International Civil
78	77		Aviation Organization and in the United Nations Framework
79	78		Convention on Climate Change; and, be it further
80	79		RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives commend
81	80		Taiwan and President Ma Ying-jeou for the East China Sea Peace
82	81		Initiative; and, be it further
83	82		RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
84	83		prepared for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston as
85	84		an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
	85	+	Vo
	86	+	Anchia
	87	+	Koop
	88	+	Wu
	89	+	Button
	90	+	______________________________
	91	+	Speaker of the House
	92	+	I certify that H.R. No. 2500 was adopted by the House on May
	93	+	22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 119, Nays 19, 2 present, not
	94	+	voting.
	95	+	______________________________
	96	+	Chief Clerk of the House