Texas 2021 - 87th 2nd C.S.

Texas Senate Bill SR2 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Zaffirini, et al. S.R. No. 2
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4	4	SENATE RESOLUTION
5	5	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border spans 14 counties in the
6	6	State of Texas, and approximately 10 percent of the state's
7	7	population resides in a Texas-Mexico border county; and
8	8	WHEREAS, Millions of people rely on crossing the border to
9	9	access education, health care, retail, and other service
10	10	industry necessities, and these activities have a positive
11	11	effect on the economic stability of the region; the border
12	12	generated more than $350 billion in annual gross domestic product
13	13	as of 2019, and trade within the region represents more than 5
14	14	percent of Texas' gross domestic product; and
15	15	WHEREAS, In 2018, trade through the El Paso port of entry
16	16	affected approximately 165,000 net jobs in Texas and $25 billion
17	17	in gross domestic product; moreover, Port Laredo is the largest
18	18	inland trade port along the border, ranking third in the nation
19	19	for total trade in May 2021; across the United States, the
20	20	Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge is the second largest
21	21	produce-crossing land port, ensuring the efficient delivery of
22	22	fresh fruits and vegetables to all Americans; and
23	23	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border is a vibrant, thriving,
24	24	multicultural region that contributes to the richness and
25	25	diversity of our state and country; the majority of area
26	26	residents are Americans of at least partial Mexican descent, and
27	27	the tri-national region includes tribal nations such as the
28	28	Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of
29	29	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
34	34	cities in the country include Brownsville, Eagle Pass, Del Rio,
35	35	Laredo, McAllen, and El Paso, which is known for Fort Bliss and
36	36	its significant military presence; and
37	37	WHEREAS, Multiple cities along the border have been
38	38	honored with the All-American City award; El Paso has won the
39	39	award four times, and Edinburg has won three times; other
40	40	recipients of this prestigious designation include Brownsville,
41	41	McAllen, Mission, 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,
47	47	and 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
52	52	28,600 students are enrolled in The University of Texas Rio
53	53	Grande Valley, and the UTRGV School of Medicine currently serves
54	54	hundreds of medical students, medical residents, and fellows who
55	55	participate in hospital-based training programs; there are three
56	56	higher education institutions in Laredo, namely Texas A&M
57	57	International University and Laredo College, which are
58	58	designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and The University of
59	59	Texas System Multi-Institution 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
62	62	deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it
63	63	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 87th Texas Legislature,
64	64	2nd Called Session, hereby recognize that the Texas-Mexico
65	65	border is vital to the economy, education, and character of our
66	66	state, and that the cities and counties along the Texas-Mexico
67	67	border are vibrant, prosperous, diverse, and safe communities.