Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR394 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. 394
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6	6	SENATE RESOLUTION
7	7	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border spans 14 counties in the
8	8	State of Texas, and approximately 10 percent of the state's
9	9	population resides in a Texas-Mexico border county; and
10	10	WHEREAS, Millions of people cross the border to access
11	11	education, health care, retail, and other service industry
12	12	necessities, and these activities have a positive effect on the
13	13	economic stability of the region; the border generated more than
14	14	$350 billion in annual gross domestic product as of 2019, and
15	15	trade within the region represents more than 5 percent of Texas'
16	16	gross domestic product; and
17	17	WHEREAS, In 2018, trade through the El Paso port of entry
18	18	affected approximately 165,000 net jobs in Texas and $25 billion
19	19	in gross domestic product; moreover, Port Laredo is the largest
20	20	trade port in North America, ranking first in the nation for
21	21	total trade in 2024; across the United States, the Pharr-Reynosa
22	22	International Bridge is the largest produce-crossing land port,
23	23	ensuring the efficient delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables to
24	24	all Americans; and
25	25	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border is a vibrant, thriving,
26	26	multicultural region that contributes to the richness and
27	27	diversity of our state and country; the majority of area
28	28	residents are Americans of at least partial Mexican descent, and
29	29	the tri-national region includes tribal nations such as the
30	30	Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas in Maverick County and Ysleta
31	31	del Sur Pueblo of El Paso; and
32	32	WHEREAS, Border communities have long been recognized for
33	33	their steadfast commitment to safety; countless generations of
34	34	Texans have chosen to rear their families along the Texas-Mexico
35	35	border due to its peaceful community, and some of the safest
36	36	cities in the country include Brownsville, Eagle Pass, Del Rio,
37	37	Laredo, McAllen, and El Paso, which is known for Fort Bliss and
38	38	its significant military presence; and
39	39	WHEREAS, Multiple cities along the border have been
40	40	honored with the All-American City award; El Paso has won the
41	41	award five times, Edinburg has won four times, and Brownsville
42	42	has won two times; other recipients of this prestigious
43	43	designation include Harlingen, Hidalgo, Laredo, McAllen,
44	44	Mission, Pharr, and Weslaco; and
45	45	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border features an ecologically
46	46	diverse environment; the region's natural sites include the
47	47	Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Quinta Mazatlán, the
48	48	Butterfly Center, the Resaca de la Palma State Park, and Big Bend
49	49	National Park, which attracts numerous species of birds, plants,
50	50	butterflies, bats, reptiles, and ants; in addition, one of the
51	51	state's symbols, the Texas red grapefruit, is grown in the Rio
52	52	Grande Valley; and
53	53	WHEREAS, Countless Texans benefit from the border region's
54	54	premier educational institutions, which include four-year
55	55	universities, junior colleges, and trade schools; more than
56	56	34,000 students are enrolled in The University of Texas Rio
57	57	Grande Valley, and the UTRGV School of Medicine currently serves
58	58	hundreds of medical students, medical residents, and fellows who
59	59	participate in hospital-based training programs; there are three
60	60	higher education institutions in Laredo, namely Texas A&M
61	61	International University and Laredo College, which are
62	62	designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and The University of
63	63	Texas Education & Research Center at Laredo; and
64	64	WHEREAS, The Texas-Mexico border region is playing a vital
65	65	role in the story of the Lone Star State, and it is indeed
66	66	deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it
67	67	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature,
68	68	hereby recognize that the Texas-Mexico border is vital to the
69	69	economy, education, and character of our state, and that the
70	70	cities and counties along the Texas-Mexico border are vibrant,
71	71	prosperous, diverse, and safe communities.