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.