SENATE 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 occurring with alarming
 1-9     frequency in schools across the nation and will likely occur
1-10     elsewhere; and
1-11           WHEREAS, Students in Texas schools have recently been found
1-12     with plans to commit various acts of violence against students,
1-13     teachers, and schools; and
1-14           WHEREAS, Violent youth are characterized by conditions such
1-15     as disconnectedness from family and schoolmates, low self-esteem,
1-16     depression, and uncontrollable anger and rage; and
1-17           WHEREAS, These characteristics tend to leave troubled youth
1-18     vulnerable to the negative cultural influences exhibited through
1-19     violent television programming, music, video games, and anti-social
1-20     groups and to the widespread accessibility to guns and other
1-21     instruments of violence; and
1-22           WHEREAS, National attention has focused on strategies to
1-23     reduce easy access to guns, control negative cultural influences,
1-24     establish tighter school security, improve parenting skills,
 2-1     develop early intervention methods, and deliver mental health
 2-2     services; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, These strategies are designed to alleviate the
 2-4     conditions that characterize troubled youth, diminish violent
 2-5     cultural influences, and restrict access to weapons; and
 2-6           WHEREAS, There still remains a critical need to understand
 2-7     the root causes of violent behaviors and tendencies and to develop
 2-8     effective prevention strategies that will reduce the number of
 2-9     youth inclined to inflict violence on others; and
2-10           WHEREAS, The members of the Texas Legislature wish to set in
2-11     motion strategies that will protect all Texas children from acts of
2-12     violence; now, therefore, be it
2-13           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-14     hereby direct the Texas Department of Health, in collaboration with
2-15     the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Department of Human Services,
2-16     the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the
2-17     Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Texas Department of
2-18     Public Safety, the Department of Protective and Regulatory
2-19     Services, the Criminal Justice Policy Council, the Texas Youth
2-20     Commission, and the office of the attorney general, within their
2-21     existing resources, to lead an inquiry into youth violence in this
2-22     state, both real and potential, including the incidence and root
2-23     causes of such violence and ways by which such violence can be
2-24     prevented; and, be it further
2-25           RESOLVED, That this inquiry should include, at a minimum,
2-26     participation of parents, children, actual classroom teachers, and
 3-1     school counselors; and, be it further
 3-2           RESOLVED, That the agencies submit a full report of their
 3-3     findings and recommendations to the 77th Legislature when it
 3-4     convenes in January, 2001; and, be it further
 3-5           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
 3-6     copy of this resolution to the commissioner of health, the
 3-7     commissioner of education, the commissioner of the Texas Department
 3-8     of Human Services, the commissioner of mental health and mental
 3-9     retardation, the executive director of the Texas Commission on
3-10     Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the director of the Department of Public
3-11     Safety, the executive director of the Department of Protective and
3-12     Regulatory Services, the executive director of the Criminal Justice
3-13     Policy Council, the executive director of the Texas Youth
3-14     Commission, and the attorney general.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 79 was adopted by the Senate
         on May 20, 1999; and that the Senate concurred in House amendment
         on May 30, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 79 was adopted by the House,
         with amendment, on May 29, 1999.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                     Date
         _______________________________
                   Governor