By Ratliff S.C.R. No. 79
76R14370 E
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.