To express the sense of the Senate that Congress should enact a long term reauthorization of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program and appropriate $750,000,000 for the program in fiscal year 2006.

SA 188. Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Kyl, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Bingaman, and Mr. Akaka) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 18, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2006 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2005 and 2007 through 2010; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE STATE CRIMINAL ALIEN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

(a) Findings.--The Senate finds the following:

(1) Control of illegal immigration is a Federal responsibility.

(2) The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (referred to in this section as “SCAAP”) provides critical funding to States and localities for reimbursement of costs incurred as a result of housing undocumented criminal aliens.

(3) Congress appropriated $250,000,000 for SCAAP to reimburse State and local governments for these costs in fiscal year 2003.

(4) Congress appropriated $300,000,000 for SCAAP to reimburse State and local governments for these costs in fiscal year 2004.

(5) Congress appropriated $305,000,000 for SCAAP to reimburse State and local governments for these costs in fiscal year 2005.

(b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that the levels in this concurrent resolution assume that--

(1) Congress will appropriate $750,000,000 for SCAAP for fiscal year 2006; and

(2) Congress will enact long-term reauthorization of SCAAP to reimburse State and local governments for the financial burdens undocumented criminal aliens place on their local criminal justice systems.