HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

121

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

requesting hawaii's congressional delegation to support the easing of restrictions on humanitarian visas.

 

 

WHEREAS, there is a need for the easing of restrictions regarding the issuance of visas in certain humanitarian instances; and

WHEREAS, the Compassionate Visitor Visa Act proposes the easier issuance of visas in urgent and compelling circumstances, which include organ donations, terminal illnesses, and death; and

WHEREAS, many individuals are unable to enter the United States to donate an organ to a family member, attend a funeral, or visit a terminally ill relative; and

WHEREAS, there is a relevant and justified concern on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security for the protection of US citizens and the wariness and hesitation associated with the relaxing of visa restrictions; and

WHEREAS, there is also a concern over those individuals who do not prove an intent on returning to their home country after being granted visa access to the United States, and the impact this has on the illegal immigrant population of the country; and

WHEREAS, the Compassionate Visitor Visa Act provisions apply only to those applicants who have close family members with serious illnesses, have died, or who face other grave emergencies that can be verified and approved of by overseas consular officials; and

WHEREAS, it is to the benefit of US citizens who are gravely ill and in need of a transplant that only a family member can provide to assume the risk of issuing a nonimmigrant visa; and

WHEREAS, supporting the issuance of visas for humanitarian reasons would result in saving the lives of more Americans every year and would reduce the costs assessed to taxpayers in order to pay for medical treatments covered by Medicaid; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that the House of Representatives requests that the Congressional Delegation of the State of Hawaii support humanitarian visas and the easing of restrictions that precipitate the issuance of such visas for the benefit of the citizens of the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to all members of the Congressional delegation of Hawaii.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Requesting Congress to support humanitarian visas