By:  Barrientos                                       S.C.R. No. 56
         2001S1466/2                            
 1-1                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-2           WHEREAS, Approximately forty percent of all students in Texas
 1-3     leave high school before completing the 12th grade; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, The dropout problem is costing the state $319
 1-5     billion in lost income to individuals, in lost tax revenues, and in
 1-6     increased job training, welfare, unemployment, and criminal justice
 1-7     costs; and
 1-8           WHEREAS, The enormity of the dropout problem has ominous
 1-9     implications for the future of Texas, considering that 67 percent
1-10     of the inmates in Texas prisons are dropouts and that the poverty
1-11     rate among high school dropouts is estimated at 31 percent, 10
1-12     times the poverty rate of college graduates; now, therefore, be it
1-13           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
1-14     hereby establish a special interim committee to study the problem
1-15     of high school dropouts in Texas; and, be it further
1-16           RESOLVED, That the interim study committee be named the Joint
1-17     Special Committee on High School Dropouts; and, be it further
1-18           RESOLVED, That the committee be composed of 10 members:  five
1-19     members of the senate to be appointed by the lieutenant governor
1-20     and five members of the house of representatives to be appointed by
1-21     the speaker of the house of representatives; the speaker of the
1-22     house of representatives and lieutenant governor shall each
1-23     designate a cochair from among their appointees; the committee
1-24     shall meet initially at the joint call of the cochairs, and the
 2-1     committee shall subsequently hold meetings and public hearings at
 2-2     the call of the cochairs; and, be it further
 2-3           RESOLVED, That the committee have the power to issue process
 2-4     as provided by the senate and house of representatives rules of
 2-5     procedure and by Section 301.024, Government Code; and, be it
 2-6     further
 2-7           RESOLVED, That the committee have all other powers and duties
 2-8     provided to special committees by the senate and house of
 2-9     representatives rules of procedure, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301,
2-10     Government Code, and by policies of the committees on
2-11     administration; and, be it further
2-12           RESOLVED, That, from the contingent expense fund of the
2-13     senate and the contingent expense fund of the house of
2-14     representatives equally, the members of the committee be reimbursed
2-15     for expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this
2-16     resolution in accordance with the senate and house of
2-17     representatives rules of procedure and the policies of the
2-18     committees on administration and that other necessary expenses of
2-19     operation be paid from the contingent expense fund of the senate
2-20     and the contingent expense fund of the house of representatives
2-21     equally; and, be it further
2-22           RESOLVED, That the interim study committee make a complete
2-23     report, including findings and recommendations and drafts of any
2-24     legislation considered necessary, to the 78th Legislature when it
2-25     convenes in January 2003; five copies of the completed report shall
2-26     be filed in the Legislative Reference Library; five copies shall be
 3-1     filed with the Texas Legislative Council; two copies shall be filed
 3-2     with the secretary of the senate; and two copies shall be filed
 3-3     with the speaker of the house of representatives; following
 3-4     official distribution of the committee report, all remaining copies
 3-5     shall be deposited with the legislative reference librarian.