79R9055 MMS-D

By:  Uresti                                                       H.R. No. 705



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Members of an admirable volunteer organization, the 
Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas, are visiting the 
State Capitol on March 8, 2005; and
	WHEREAS, Founded in 1974, PART is composed of families, 
guardians, and friends of people with mental retardation; PART 
employs no paid staff:  its members work individually and 
collectively to promote the best possible care for the mentally 
retarded; and
	WHEREAS, Many individuals with mental retardation are 
profoundly or severely retarded and may also have behavior 
problems, multiple handicaps, and/or fragile health; for these 
vulnerable citizens, a protected environment, specially trained 
staff, and specialized programs are essential to providing the 
highest possible quality of life; and
	WHEREAS, Those involved in PART seek to inform themselves and 
others of all state and national matters that affect the welfare of 
Texans with mental retardation; they strive to ensure that a full 
range of services and a full continuum of living arrangements are 
available, and they endeavor to make certain that the parent or 
guardian's right of placement choice for their mentally retarded 
family member is respected and honored; and
	WHEREAS, For more than 30 years, members of PART have 
staunchly supported treatment policies and procedures that 
recognize the unique needs of each mentally retarded individual, 
and their efforts have played a vital role in promoting awareness 
and understanding of the exceptional challenges faced by those with 
mental retardation; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby welcome members of the Parent Association for 
the Retarded of Texas to the State Capitol and extend to all those 
associated with PART sincere appreciation for their tremendous 
dedication to the welfare of the state's mentally retarded 
citizens.