Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR763 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 763
2	2	WHEREAS, Shortly after World War II, the United States
3	3	assumed administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific
4	4	Islands under a United Nations strategic trusteeship, which
5	5	provided for United States control over development of the
6	6	islands' economies and international relations, as well as
7	7	military access to territory within the islands; and
8	8	WHEREAS, The treatment of the Pacific Islands as a
9	9	strategic trust territory allowed the United States Atomic
10	10	Energy Commission to establish the Pacific Proving Grounds in the
11	11	Marshall Islands, where 67 atmospheric nuclear weapons were
12	12	tested on a number of inhabited islands, some of which had not
13	13	been evacuated, between 1946 and 1958; several island residents
14	14	and their descendants who were in the vicinity of the test
15	15	proving grounds continue to exhibit medical conditions that may
16	16	have resulted from exposure to nuclear fallout, which is still
17	17	measurable on some islands; and
18	18	WHEREAS, The area formerly known as the Trust Territory of
19	19	the Pacific Islands consists of three groups of islands, the
20	20	Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the
21	21	Federated States of Micronesia, which are today referred to as
22	22	the Compact of Free Association islands; notwithstanding their
23	23	status as independent, sovereign nations, the COFA islands are
24	24	heavily dependent on United States government grants and are
25	25	subjected to United States military presence under the COFA
26	26	treaty; and
27	27	WHEREAS, Because of the unique relationship between the
28	28	three COFA nations and the United States, the COFA treaties allow
29	29	island citizens to enter the United States without visas to
30	30	study, live, and work, and to have access to available services
31	31	such as health care; since the implementation of the treaties,
32	32	citizens of the COFA islands have moved to the United States for
33	33	education and work opportunities because stagnant island
34	34	economies have made it difficult for residents to find jobs or
35	35	obtain quality education in their home countries; moreover, COFA
36	36	island citizens volunteer to serve in the United States armed
37	37	forces at a higher rate per capita than United States
38	38	citizens; and
39	39	WHEREAS, Approximately 3,500 COFA citizens reside in Texas
40	40	and directly contribute to the state through volunteering and
41	41	service in various workplace settings, including industrial,
42	42	managerial, and educational fields; in addition, numerous COFA
43	43	islanders serving in the United States military are stationed at
44	44	Texas military bases, including Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, Fort Sam
45	45	Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Sheppard Air Force Base,
46	46	Randolph Air Force Base, and Goodfellow Air Force Base; and
47	47	WHEREAS, In recent years, Congress and some state
48	48	governments have reduced benefits, including access to medical
49	49	coverage, for which COFA islanders residing in the United States
50	50	have historically been eligible; and
51	51	WHEREAS, COFA islanders and their children who reside in
52	52	the United States should be fairly treated in recognition of the
53	53	long-standing connection between the United States and the COFA
54	54	islands and the continued need of the United States to maintain a
55	55	strong military and economic presence in the island nations; now,
56	56	therefore, be it
57	57	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th
58	58	Legislature, hereby express support for the rights of Compact of
59	59	Free Association islanders residing in Texas and extend to them
60	60	sincere appreciation for their extraordinary commitment to the
61	61	service and defense of our nation.
62	62	Johnson
63	63	________________________________
64	64	President of the Senate
65	65	I hereby certify that the
66	66	above Resolution was adopted by
67	67	the Senate on May 19, 2019.
68	68	________________________________
69	69	Secretary of the Senate
70	70	________________________________
71	71	Member, Texas Senate