I am proud to announce that this afternoon, the Assembly Majority intends to take up and to pass A.8689B, which represents a critical first step toward giving the children of immigrants access to the American Dream by enabling them to advance their educational goals and opportunities through privately funded scholarships and expanded access to family tuition accounts.

Joining me in this announcement is the lead sponsor of this legislation, Assemblyman Francisco Moya of Queens, who will discuss our bill in greater detail.

Standing with us in support of this legislation are a number of our Majority bill sponsors and colleagues as well as:

• Jose Calderon, President of the Hispanic Federation;

• Javier Valdes, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York;

• And Katherine Tabares, a senior at International High School at LaGuardia Community College. Katherine will be speaking to you shortly.

Although the federal DREAM Act has been debated on Capital Hill on and off over the last eleven years, I believe the issue of providing for the advancement of immigrant students is, above all else, a matter of human dignity.

We are, after all, an immigrant state and an immigrant nation.

For more than three centuries, immigrants have traveled to America – millions coming through New York – seeking nothing more than freedom and opportunity. Their sweat, their blood and their sacrifice helped build our state and our nation.

What we are proposing with our legislation is to give today’s immigrant youth the same opportunity to work hard, to achieve and to make their own way, which are quintessential American values.

Today, we keep America’s promise. We choose opportunity for all.