Speech #1010225038

Mr. President. this program is called the State Legalization Impact Assistance Grants. acronym SLIAG. This program was the result of the 1986 Immigration Act. At the time that act was being considered it was recognized that by according legalized status to large numbers of persons who had previously been variously called illegal aliens. undocumented aliens. and other titles that there would be significant cost. Much of that cost would fall upon the States in which those previously illegal aliens would now have acquired legal status. The agreement which was developed between Congress. the President. and the States was a 7year program which ran from fiscal year 1988 through fiscal year 1994. Under the program. in the first 4 of those years. there would be $1 billion a year appropriated which would be distributed to the States upon application to finance the various costs such as education and health which the States would be asked to bear as a result of the legalized status of previously illegal aliens. One billion dollars was appropriated in the first 2 years. that is. fiscal year 1988 and fiscal year 1989. However. last year Congress recognized the fact that there was unexpended funds in the SLIAG account.