[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 91 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 91

   Expressing the sense of Congress that the Nation should strive to 
 prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teens to view adolescence as a 
  time for education and growing-up and by educating teens about the 
            negative consequences of early sexual activity.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2003

    Mr. Castle (for himself and Mrs. Lowey) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
                              and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of Congress that the Nation should strive to 
 prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teens to view adolescence as a 
  time for education and growing-up and by educating teens about the 
            negative consequences of early sexual activity.

Whereas nearly 4 in 10 girls in the United States will become pregnant before 
        the age of 20;
Whereas the United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and 
        childbirth in the industrialized world;
Whereas, despite significant progress over the past decade, there are still 
        nearly 900,000 teen pregnancies each year;
Whereas every hour nearly 100 teen girls get pregnant and 55 give birth;
Whereas childbearing by teenagers costs taxpayers at least $7 billion each year 
        in direct costs associated with health care, foster care, criminal 
        justice, and public assistance;
Whereas almost all adults and teens believe that teens should be given a strong 
        message from society that they should not have sex until they are at 
        least out of high school;
Whereas teen pregnancy is closely linked to other critical social issues, 
        including welfare dependency and overall child well-being, poverty, out-
        of-wedlock births, responsible fatherhood, and workforce development;
Whereas more than half of all mothers on welfare had their first child as a 
        teenager;
Whereas 80 percent of births to teenagers are to unmarried teenagers, half of 
        unmarried mothers begin their childbearing as teens;
Whereas teenagers who give birth are less likely to complete high school and to 
        go on to college, thereby reducing their potential for economic self-
        sufficiency; and
Whereas the children of teenage mothers are more likely to be at risk for a 
        variety of adverse health and educational outcomes than other children:
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the Nation should strive to 
prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teens to view adolescence as a 
time for education and growing-up and by educating teens about the 
negative consequences of early sexual activity.
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