By Delisi, Edwards, Olivo, Chisum, Noriega H.C.R. No. 256 76R14370 E HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The people of Texas have received news of the tragic 1-2 events at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, where two 1-3 students murdered 12 schoolchildren, one teacher, and themselves 1-4 with guns and homemade bombs; and 1-5 WHEREAS, These murders have shocked and appalled the nation 1-6 and caused concern for the safety of children in schools and 1-7 communities across the land; and 1-8 WHEREAS, Similar incidents are increasingly occurring in 1-9 schools across the nation and will likely occur elsewhere; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Students in Texas schools have recently been found 1-11 with plans to commit various acts of violence against students, 1-12 teachers, and schools; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Violent youth are characterized by conditions such 1-14 as disconnectedness from family and schoolmates, low self-esteem, 1-15 depression, and uncontrollable anger and rage; and 1-16 WHEREAS, These characteristics tend to leave troubled youth 1-17 vulnerable to the negative cultural influences exhibited through 1-18 violent television programming, music, video games, and anti-social 1-19 groups and to the widespread accessibility to guns and other 1-20 instruments of violence; and 1-21 WHEREAS, National attention has focused on strategies to 1-22 reduce easy access to guns, control negative cultural influences, 1-23 establish tighter school security, improve parenting skills, 1-24 develop early intervention methods, and deliver mental health 2-1 services; and 2-2 WHEREAS, These strategies are designed to alleviate the 2-3 conditions that characterize troubled youth, diminish violent 2-4 cultural influences, and restrict access to weapons; and 2-5 WHEREAS, There still remains a critical need to understand 2-6 the root causes of violent behaviors and tendencies to develop 2-7 effective prevention strategies that will reduce the number of 2-8 youth inclined to inflict violence on others; and 2-9 WHEREAS, The members of the Texas Legislature wish to set in 2-10 motion strategies that will protect all Texas children from acts of 2-11 violence; now, therefore, be it 2-12 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-13 hereby direct the Texas Department of Health, in collaboration with 2-14 the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Department of Human Services, 2-15 the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the 2-16 Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Texas Department of 2-17 Public Safety, the Department of Protective and Regulatory 2-18 Services, the Criminal Justice Policy Council, and the office of 2-19 the attorney general, within their existing resources, to lead an 2-20 inquiry into youth violence in this state, both real and potential, 2-21 including the incidence and root causes of such violence and ways 2-22 by which such violence can be prevented; and, be it further 2-23 RESOLVED, That this inquiry should include, at a minimum, 2-24 participation of parents, children, actual classroom teachers, and 2-25 school counselors; and, be it further 2-26 RESOLVED, That the agencies submit a full report of their 2-27 findings and recommendations to the 77th Legislature when it 3-1 convenes in January 2001; and, be it further 3-2 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 3-3 copy of this resolution to the commissioner of health, the 3-4 commissioner of education, the commissioner of the Texas Department 3-5 of Human Services, the commissioner of mental health and mental 3-6 retardation, the executive director of the Texas Commission on 3-7 Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the director of the Department of Public 3-8 Safety, the executive director of the Department of Protective and 3-9 Regulatory Services, the executive director of the Criminal Justice 3-10 Policy Council, and the attorney general.