Florida Senate - 2017                                      SM 84
       
       
        
       By Senator Garcia
       
       36-00166-17                                             201784__
    1                           Senate Memorial                         
    2         A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
    3         urging Congress to review and revise the Cuban
    4         Adjustment Act of 1966.
    5  
    6         WHEREAS, the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, Pub. L. No. 89
    7  732, 80 Stat. 1161, was enacted and subsequently amended to
    8  allow certain Cubans physically present in the United States to
    9  be treated as aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence,
   10  entitling them to become legal permanent residents after 1 year,
   11  and
   12         WHEREAS, this law provides Cuban immigrants with an
   13  advantage that immigrants of other nationalities do not have,
   14  and
   15         WHEREAS, at the time the law was enacted, the Cuban
   16  government was not recognized by the United States, the two
   17  countries did not maintain diplomatic relations, travel between
   18  the United States and Cuba was severely restricted, and Cuban
   19  immigrants were refugees from political oppression during the
   20  Cold War, and
   21         WHEREAS, travel between the United States and Cuba is now
   22  considerably less restricted, NOW, THEREFORE,
   23  
   24  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   25  
   26         That the Congress of the United States is urged to review
   27  and revise the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 to reflect the
   28  changes in the relationship between the United States and Cuba
   29  in the half century since its enactment. Specifically, the
   30  Congress of the United States should consider the circumstances
   31  under which Cuban immigrants are eligible to apply for social
   32  benefits as refugees under the wet foot, dry foot policy, taking
   33  into consideration the renewed diplomatic relations between the
   34  two nations.
   35         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
   36  dispatched by the Secretary of State of the State of Florida to
   37  the President of the United States, to the President of the
   38  United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House
   39  of Representatives, and to each member of the Florida delegation
   40  to the United States Congress.