By West                                                S.C.R. No. 2

      75R897 SGW-D                           

                                CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, Drunken driving is an epidemic problem that

 1-2     needlessly destroys the lives and futures of thousands of Texans

 1-3     each year, often causing death, injury, and property destruction;

 1-4     tragically, during 1995 alone, there were 1,138 driving while

 1-5     intoxicated (DWI) fatalities and 31,720 DWI-related injuries in the

 1-6     State of Texas; and

 1-7           WHEREAS, Approximately 10 percent of the total DWI accidents

 1-8     in Texas are caused by drivers who are under 21 years of age; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, In 1995, as a result of driving under the influence

1-10     of alcohol or drugs, 5,983 drivers under the age of 21 were

1-11     arrested and 74 died behind the wheel; and

1-12           WHEREAS, A study conducted by the Texas Commission on Alcohol

1-13     and Drug Abuse on DWI recidivism revealed that DWI offenders who

1-14     receive probation and complete alcohol prevention/education classes

1-15     are less likely to recidivate than those who are directly

1-16     incarcerated; and

1-17           WHEREAS, The same study showed that those offenders who do

1-18     not complete the DWI education class are more than twice as likely

1-19     to recidivate than those who complete the class; and

1-20           WHEREAS, In view of the tremendous gravity of the problem of

1-21     drunken driving by juveniles, and the demonstrated success of the

1-22     completion of alcohol prevention/education classes in reducing

1-23     recidivism, it is incumbent on the state to encourage the use of

 2-1     this effective deterrent; now, therefore, be it

 2-2           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-3     hereby encourage the justice of the peace and municipal courts of

 2-4     this state to use alcohol prevention/education-related activities

 2-5     when sentencing juvenile DWI offenders to community service

 2-6     projects and to establish agreements with local juvenile probation

 2-7     departments to monitor completion of assigned community service;

 2-8     and, be it further

 2-9           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward official copies

2-10     of this resolution to each justice of the peace and municipal court

2-11     in Texas.