| 1 | 1 | | 89R19817 KSM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Buckley H.R. No. 559 |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The United States has enjoyed strong relationships |
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| 9 | 9 | | with the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, |
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| 10 | 10 | | and the Federated States of Micronesia; and |
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| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, The Compact of Free Association Act of 1985 |
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| 12 | 12 | | terminated U.S. trusteeship over the former Trust Territory of the |
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| 13 | 13 | | Pacific Islands and established the Federated States of Micronesia |
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| 14 | 14 | | and the Republic of the Marshall Islands as independent nations in |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1986; in 1994, the U.S. established another Compact of Free |
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| 16 | 16 | | Association with the Republic of Palau; the agreements also outline |
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| 17 | 17 | | how economic assistance is administered to the nations by the |
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| 18 | 18 | | U.S. Office of Insular Affairs; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, The COFA agreements are perpetual with a periodic |
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| 20 | 20 | | review of financial provisions; the most recent amendments to the |
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| 21 | 21 | | agreements were passed by the U.S. Congress, and they went into |
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| 22 | 22 | | effect on March 18, 2024; the amendments ensured that veterans |
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| 23 | 23 | | living in the COFA islands could access VA medical services, and |
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| 24 | 24 | | they restored and extended federal domestic services such as SNAP, |
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| 25 | 25 | | TANF, FEMA, and in-state tuition; the amendments also strengthened |
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| 26 | 26 | | U.S. Indo-Pacific influence by enhancing U.S. military presence in |
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| 27 | 27 | | the COFA nations; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, An estimated 94,000 non-immigrant legal permanent |
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| 29 | 29 | | residents from COFA nations currently live in the U.S. and its |
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| 30 | 30 | | territories; of that population, approximately 5,000 live in and |
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| 31 | 31 | | contribute to the State of Texas and the United States as a whole |
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| 32 | 32 | | through various employment sectors, including technical and |
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| 33 | 33 | | professional fields; in addition, many COFA islanders serve in the |
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| 34 | 34 | | U.S. military and are stationed at bases in Texas; in 2019, the |
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| 35 | 35 | | Senate and the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 36 | 36 | | Legislature adopted resolutions acknowledging the historical |
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| 37 | 37 | | significance of the COFA agreements; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Texas and the United States have benefited |
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| 39 | 39 | | immeasurably through decades of unwavering friendship with the |
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| 40 | 40 | | Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the |
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| 41 | 41 | | Federated States of Micronesia, and it is a pleasure to join in |
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| 42 | 42 | | recognizing the many contributions of Texas residents who trace |
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| 43 | 43 | | their heritage to the COFA nations; now, therefore, be it |
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| 44 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 45 | 45 | | Legislature hereby express support for the protection of COFA |
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| 46 | 46 | | islanders residing in Texas and affirm their rights afforded under |
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| 47 | 47 | | the Compact of Free Association agreements; and, be it further |
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| 48 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 49 | 49 | | Legislature hereby recognize March 18, 2025, as COFA Day in Texas. |
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