Texas 2021 - 87th 2nd C.S.

Texas Senate Bill SCR2 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87S20288 TBO-F
2	2	By: Zaffirini, et al. S.C.R. No. 2
3	3
4	4
5	5	CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
6	6	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border spans 14 counties in the
7	7	State of Texas, and approximately 10 percent of the state's
8	8	population resides in a Texas-Mexico border county; and
9	9	WHEREAS, Millions of people rely on crossing the border to
10	10	access education, health care, retail, and other service industry
11	11	necessities, and these activities have a positive effect on the
12	12	economic stability of the region; the border generated more than
13	13	$350 billion in annual gross domestic product as of 2019, and trade
14	14	within the region represents more than 5 percent of Texas' gross
15	15	domestic product; and
16	16	WHEREAS, In 2018, trade through the El Paso port of entry
17	17	affected approximately 165,000 net jobs in Texas and $25 billion in
18	18	gross domestic product; moreover, Port Laredo is the largest inland
19	19	trade port along the border, ranking third in the nation for total
20	20	trade in May 2021; across the United States, the Pharr-Reynosa
21	21	International Bridge is the second largest produce-crossing land
22	22	port, ensuring the efficient delivery of fresh fruits and
23	23	vegetables to all Americans; and
24	24	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border is a vibrant, thriving,
25	25	multicultural region that contributes to the richness and diversity
26	26	of our state and country; the majority of area residents are
27	27	Americans of at least partial Mexican descent, and the tri-national
28	28	region includes tribal nations such as the Kickapoo Traditional
29	29	Tribe of Texas and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of El Paso; and
30	30	WHEREAS, Border communities have long been recognized for
31	31	their steadfast commitment to safety; countless generations of
32	32	Texans have chosen to rear their families along the Texas-Mexico
33	33	border due to its peaceful community, and some of the safest cities
34	34	in the country include Brownsville, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, Laredo,
35	35	McAllen, and El Paso, which is known for Fort Bliss and its
36	36	significant military presence; and
37	37	WHEREAS, Multiple cities along the border have been honored
38	38	with the All-American City award; El Paso has won the award four
39	39	times, and Edinburg has won three times; other recipients of this
40	40	prestigious designation include Brownsville, McAllen, Mission,
41	41	Hidalgo, Pharr, and Weslaco; and
42	42	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border features an ecologically
43	43	diverse environment; the region's natural sites include the
44	44	Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Quinta Mazatlán, the
45	45	Butterfly Center, and Big Bend National Park, which attracts
46	46	numerous species of birds, plants, butterflies, bats, reptiles, and
47	47	ants; in addition, one of the state's symbols, the Texas red
48	48	grapefruit, is grown in the Rio Grande Valley; and
49	49	WHEREAS, Countless Texans benefit from the border region's
50	50	premier educational institutions, which include four-year
51	51	universities, junior colleges, and trade schools; more than 28,600
52	52	students are enrolled in The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley,
53	53	and the UTRGV School of Medicine currently serves hundreds of
54	54	medical students, medical residents, and fellows who participate in
55	55	hospital-based training programs; there are three higher education
56	56	institutions in Laredo, namely Texas A&M International University
57	57	and Laredo College, which are designated Hispanic-Serving
58	58	Institutions, and The University of Texas System Multi-Institution
59	59	Center; and
60	60	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border region is playing a vital
61	61	role in the story of the Lone Star State, and it is indeed deserving
62	62	of special recognition; now, therefore, be it
63	63	RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas,
64	64	2nd Called Session, hereby recognize that the Texas-Mexico border
65	65	is vital to the economy, education, and character of our state, and
66	66	that the cities and counties along the Texas-Mexico border are
67	67	vibrant, prosperous, diverse, and safe communities.