PRINTER'S NO. 1145
No. 176 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY HARHART, PHILLIPS, STERN, MAJOR, ARGALL, BAKER,
BELFANTI, BOYD, CAPPELLI, CASORIO, CIVERA, CREIGHTON, DALLY,
EVERETT, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, GOODMAN, HARRIS, HESS, HUTCHINSON,
KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, KENNEY, KORTZ, McILHATTAN, R. MILLER,
MOYER, MURT, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PICKETT, READSHAW, REED,
REICHLEY, ROSS, RUBLEY, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SONNEY,
R. STEVENSON, TRUE, VULAKOVICH, WATSON, DeLUCA AND KIRKLAND,
APRIL 2, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
APRIL 2, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2 conduct a comprehensive survey of all State agencies that
3 provide social services and the cost of those services to
4 individuals and their families who illegally immigrated to
5 United States and reside in this Commonwealth.
6 WHEREAS, As one of the 13 original colonies, Pennsylvania
7 served as a gateway and welcomed individuals seeking personal
8 and religious freedoms; and
9 WHEREAS, As a nation and State built by the hard work and
10 assimilation of immigrants from all parts of the world, we have
11 established laws and standards to provide for methods of legal
12 immigration; and
13 WHEREAS, Thousands of individuals follow those laws and
14 regulations and wait in line to be legal immigrants; and
15 WHEREAS, The continuing migration of illegal immigrants into
16 our nation and State creates burdens not imposed by individuals
1 entering legally; and
2 WHEREAS, One estimate of the total undocumented population
3 residing in this Commonwealth from 2002 to 2004 is between
4 100,000 to 150,000; and
5 WHEREAS, This Commonwealth cannot ignore the health and
6 welfare of undocumented aliens and their children; and
7 WHEREAS, It is necessary to determine their impact on social
8 service programs, such as, but not limited to, food stamps, cash
9 assistance, energy assistance, public education and health
10 services; therefore be it
11 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
12 conduct a comprehensive survey relating to resident illegal
13 immigrants and prepare a report of its findings which shall
14 include, at a minimum, all of the following:
15 (1) Identification of all Federally and State mandated
16 programs and services provided to all persons and their
17 children who illegally reside in this Commonwealth as
18 undocumented aliens.
19 (2) Identification of revenues and expenditures by
20 source and amount for each of the programs and services.
21 (3) Identification of the number of persons served by
22 each of the programs and services;
23 and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
25 solicit input from all Commonwealth agencies currently providing
26 social services and public assistance programs to individuals
27 and their families who have not legally entered the United
28 States; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget an Finance Committee
30 make a report of its findings to the House of Representatives
20070H0176R1145 - 2 -
1 within one year of the adoption of this resolution.
C9L82MSP/20070H0176R1145 - 3 -