1-1 By: Ratliff S.C.R. No. 79 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed May 11, 1999; May 11, 1999, read first 1-3 time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 14, 1999, 1-4 reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; 1-5 May 14, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, The people of Texas have received news of the tragic 1-8 events at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, where two 1-9 students murdered 12 schoolchildren, one teacher, and themselves 1-10 with guns and homemade bombs; and 1-11 WHEREAS, These murders have shocked and appalled the nation 1-12 and caused concern for the safety of children in schools and 1-13 communities across the land; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Similar incidents are occurring with alarming 1-15 frequency in schools across the nation and will likely occur 1-16 elsewhere; and 1-17 WHEREAS, Students in Texas schools have recently been found 1-18 with plans to commit various acts of violence against students, 1-19 teachers, and schools; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Violent youth are characterized by conditions such 1-21 as disconnectedness from family and schoolmates, low self-esteem, 1-22 depression, and uncontrollable anger and rage; and 1-23 WHEREAS, These characteristics tend to leave troubled youth 1-24 vulnerable to the negative cultural influences exhibited through 1-25 violent television programming, music, video games, and anti-social 1-26 groups and to the widespread accessibility to guns and other 1-27 instruments of violence; and 1-28 WHEREAS, National attention has focused on strategies to 1-29 reduce easy access to guns, control negative cultural influences, 1-30 establish tighter school security, improve parenting skills, 1-31 develop early intervention methods, and deliver mental health 1-32 services; and 1-33 WHEREAS, These strategies are designed to alleviate the 1-34 conditions that characterize troubled youth, diminish violent 1-35 cultural influences, and restrict access to weapons; and 1-36 WHEREAS, There still remains a critical need to understand 1-37 the root causes of violent behaviors and tendencies and to develop 1-38 effective prevention strategies that will reduce the number of 1-39 youth inclined to inflict violence on others; and 1-40 WHEREAS, The members of the Texas Legislature wish to set in 1-41 motion strategies that will protect all Texas children from acts of 1-42 violence; now, therefore, be it 1-43 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-44 hereby direct the Texas Department of Health, in collaboration with 1-45 the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Department of Human Services, 1-46 the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the 1-47 Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Texas Department of 1-48 Public Safety, the Department of Protective and Regulatory 1-49 Services, the Criminal Justice Policy Council, and the office of 1-50 the attorney general, within their existing resources, to lead an 1-51 inquiry into youth violence in this state, both real and potential, 1-52 including the incidence and root causes of such violence and ways 1-53 by which such violence can be prevented; and, be it further 1-54 RESOLVED, That this inquiry should include, at a minimum, 1-55 participation of parents, children, actual classroom teachers, and 1-56 school counselors; and, be it further 1-57 RESOLVED, That the agencies submit a full report of their 1-58 findings and recommendations to the 77th Legislature when it 1-59 convenes in January, 2001; and, be it further 1-60 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 1-61 copy of this resolution to the commissioner of health, the 1-62 commissioner of education, the commissioner of the Texas Department 1-63 of Human Services, the commissioner of mental health and mental 1-64 retardation, the executive director of the Texas Commission on 2-1 Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the director of the Department of Public 2-2 Safety, the executive director of the Department of Protective and 2-3 Regulatory Services, the executive director of the Criminal Justice 2-4 Policy Council, and the attorney general. 2-5 * * * * *