Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HR1045 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.R. No. 1045
	1	+	85R18048 RMA-D
	2	+	By: Vo H.R. No. 1045
2	3
3	4
4	5		R E S O L U T I O N
5	6		WHEREAS, For decades, the United States and Taiwan have
6	7		fostered an important relationship that has been of mutual
7	8		economic, cultural, and strategic benefit; and
8	9		WHEREAS, The 22nd-largest economy in the world, Taiwan is the
9	10		10th-largest trading partner of the United States, and in 2016,
10	11		bilateral trade in goods and services between the two nations
11	12		reached $65.3 billion; and
12	13		WHEREAS, Taiwan is also the largest per capita importer of
13	14		U.S. farm products in the world and continues to pursue biennial
14	15		agricultural procurement missions to the United States to sign
15	16		multibillion-dollar supply deals, and each year since 2013, it has
16	17		dispatched a delegation to the SelectUSA Investment Summit; and
17	18		WHEREAS, In recent years, travel from Taiwan to the United
18	19		States has increased substantially as a result of significant
19	20		efforts from both nations to promote tourism and encourage
20	21		exchanges; those efforts include Taiwan joining the U.S. Visa
21	22		Waiver Program in 2012, EVA Air launching its direct
22	23		Taipei-to-Houston route in 2015, and the United States and Taiwan
23	24		signing a joint statement on an international expedited traveler
24	25		initiative in 2016; in addition, Taiwan serves as an important hub
25	26		to other Asian destinations, and its national Civil Aeronautics
26	27		Administration annually provides services for over 1.5 million
27	28		controlled flights that carry a total of 58 million passengers; and
28	29		WHEREAS, Texas has specifically benefited from economic and
29	30		cultural ties to Taiwan that are nurtured by a vibrant Sister State
30	31		relationship; state exports to Taiwan were valued at more than $4.2
31	32		billion in 2016, making Taiwan the fifth-largest Asian export
32	33		market for Texas, and some 38,000 jobs in the Lone Star State are
33	34		supported by companies affiliated with Taiwan; and
34	35		WHEREAS, American exports to Taiwan, combined with Taiwan's
35	36		investment in the United States, support more than 330,000
36	37		good-paying jobs in our country; both nations could realize further
37	38		economic gains by establishing a free trade agreement and enhancing
38	39		the platforms of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and
39	40		the Digital Economy Forum; and
40	41		WHEREAS, Since its ratification, the Taiwan Relations Act of
41	42		1979 has been the cornerstone of relations between the United
42	43		States and Taiwan; both countries have further affirmed their
43	44		essential economic and security partnership by working together to
44	45		address global challenges in such areas as international
45	46		humanitarian assistance, public health, and technology under the
46	47		Global Cooperation and Training Framework, which was established in
47	48		June 2015; and
48	49		WHEREAS, Taiwan is the only full-fledged democracy in the
49	50		Chinese-speaking world; the results of its 2016 presidential
50	51		election marked both the country's third peaceful transition of
51	52		power since 1996 and first transition of the national legislative
52	53		majority since 1949, proving that Taiwan would be a worthy member of
53	54		the Community of Democracies; and
54	55		WHEREAS, As nontraditional security threats increase in the
55	56		21st century, myriad people would benefit from Taiwan's inclusion
56	57		and participation in the International Criminal Police
57	58		Organization (INTERPOL), the International Civil Aviation
58	59		Organization (ICAO), the United Nations Framework Convention on
59	60		Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the World Health Assembly (WHA); and
60	61		WHEREAS, Greater participation by Taiwan in international
61	62		agreements and organizations will contribute immeasurably to its
62	63		prosperity, thereby heightening the synergies created through the
63	64		close and dynamic commercial partnership between Taiwan and the
64	65		United States; now, therefore, be it
65	66		RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
66	67		Legislature hereby express its support for the expansion of
67	68		Taiwan's role in the international community; and, be it further
68	69		RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives hereby:
69	70		(1) encourage Taiwan to negotiate a free trade
70	71		agreement with the United States;
71	72		(2) commend the signing of a joint statement on an
72	73		international expedited traveler initiative between the United
73	74		States and Taiwan; and
74	75		(3) express support for Taiwan's meaningful
75	76		participation in INTERPOL, ICAO, UNFCCC, and WHA; and, be it
76	77		further
77	78		RESOLVED, That the 29th anniversary of the Sister State
78	79		relationship between Texas and Taiwan be commemorated, and that
79	80		Louis M. Huang, director general of the Taipei Economic and
80	81		Cultural Office in Houston, be commended for his contributions
81	82		toward enhancing cooperation between the Lone Star State and
82	83		Taiwan; and, be it further
83	84		RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
84	85		prepared for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston as
85	86		an expression of the sentiment of the Texas House of
86	87		Representatives.
87		-	Vo
88		-	______________________________
89		-	Speaker of the House
90		-	I certify that H.R. No. 1045 was adopted by the House on May
91		-	4, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 2 present, not
92		-	voting.
93		-	______________________________
94		-	Chief Clerk of the House