By: Ellis, Harris S.C.R. No. 53 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The children of the State of Texas hold the state's 1-2 future; 1-3 WHEREAS, An estimated one out of five children has a learning 1-4 disability, attention deficit disorder, sensory integration 1-5 dysfunction, emotional disturbance, conduct disorder, mental 1-6 illness or is a victim of child abuse or neglect; 1-7 WHEREAS, The rate of incidence of these types of disabilities 1-8 and disorders in children and victimization of children has been 1-9 increasing in the general population; 1-10 WHEREAS, These children are at higher risk of being behind 1-11 grade level at school, dropping out of school, juvenile 1-12 delinquency, suicide or teen pregnancy as youth, and homelessness, 1-13 unemployment, welfare dependency, or incarceration as adults; 1-14 WHEREAS, A significant body of new research in the last 1-15 several years has provided new understanding of the development and 1-16 functioning of the human brain, human behavior and learning styles; 1-17 WHEREAS, This body of research has significant and compelling 1-18 implications for public policies in the care, education, control 1-19 and protection of the state's children and children who are wards 1-20 of the state and in the education and training of the state's 1-21 workforce; 2-1 WHEREAS, The state spends significant funds on the care, 2-2 education, control and protection of children and the education and 2-3 training of the state's workforce; now, therefore, be it 2-4 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-5 hereby requests the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the 2-6 house of representatives to create a joint interim committee to 2-7 study and report on recent findings concerning the development and 2-8 functioning of the human brain, human behavior and learning styles 2-9 and their implications for public policies concerning the care, 2-10 education, control and protection of children and the education and 2-11 training of the state's workforce; and, be it further 2-12 RESOLVED, That the committee be composed of private citizens 2-13 knowledgeable about recent findings concerning research on the 2-14 development and functioning of the human brain, human behavior and 2-15 learning styles and persons who are generally knowledgeable about 2-16 public policies concerning the care, education, control and 2-17 protection of children, and especially those children with 2-18 disabilities or disorders, or who are victims of abuse or neglect; 2-19 and, be it further 2-20 RESOLVED, That the Texas Youth Commission, Texas Department 2-21 of Protective and Regulatory Services, Texas Education Agency, 2-22 Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Texas 2-23 Juvenile Probation Commission, Criminal Justice Policy Council, 2-24 Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Council on Workforce 2-25 and Economic Competitiveness, Office of the Governor, and Texas 3-1 Comptroller of Public Accounts, each appoint one staff member to 3-2 the committee; and, be it further 3-3 RESOLVED, That staffing support be developed within existing 3-4 agency resources, and that the Texas Council on Workforce and 3-5 Economic Competitiveness provide administrative support; and, be it 3-6 further 3-7 RESOLVED, That the committee be charged with identifying key 3-8 findings of research concerning the development and functioning of 3-9 the human brain, human behavior and learning styles that could 3-10 impact public policies concerning the care, education, control and 3-11 protection of children and the education and training of the 3-12 state's workforce, and developing recommendations to the 76th 3-13 Legislature concerning such policies; and, be it further 3-14 RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be 3-15 governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim 3-16 committees as the 75th Legislature may adopt and that such rules 3-17 and policies supersede the provisions of this resolution to the 3-18 extent of any conflict; and, be it further 3-19 RESOLVED, That the joint interim committee submit a full 3-20 report, including findings and recommendations, to the Texas 3-21 Legislature not later than December 12, 1998.