IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 376 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 28, 2009 Mr. Rogers of Michigan (for himself and Ms. Wasserman Schultz) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned RESOLUTION Expressing support for designation of the calendar year 2009 as The Year of the Safe Child to raise awareness and encourage the prevention of unintentional injuries among the Nation’s children.

Whereas unintentional injury is the number one killer of children under 19 years of age; Whereas each year more than 5,000 children under 15 years of age die from unintentional injuries; Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that unintentional injuries remain the leading cause of nonfatal injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the Nation; Whereas for children ages 14 and under, the leading causes of unintentional injury deaths are motor vehicle-related injuries, drowning, residential fires or burn injury, suffocation and pedestrian injury; Whereas 90 percent of these injuries and deaths are preventable; Whereas the CDC estimates that direct and indirect medical expenses stemming from injuries among children under 15 years of age costs the Nation $51,000,000,000; Whereas, children are among our most valuable resources and are at greater risk for many injuries than adults; Whereas young children have immature physical coordination and cognitive abilities, and are at greater risk of falls from bicycles and playground equipment; Whereas young children’s developing bones and muscles may make them more susceptible to injury in car crashes if they are not properly restrained; Whereas children are particularly vulnerable to pedestrian-related motor vehicle injuries; Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that reducing the barriers to attaining safety devices (such as smoke alarms, bicycle helmets, car seats and booster seats), increasing educational efforts directed toward children who are at high risk for injury, and improving the overall safety of the child’s environment, are preventative strategies to keeping kids safe from unintentional injuries; Whereas these evidence-based interventions are cost-effective and show great potential in reducing the burden of unintentional injuries among children; Whereas the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have led the development of a landmark World Report on Child Injury Prevention, that was released in December 2008, to summarize what is known about child and adolescent injuries, including risk factors, promising prevention practices, and overall recommendations for injury prevention and control; and Whereas the calender year 2009 would be appropriate to designate as The Year of the Safe Child: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)supports the designation of The Year of the Safe Child; (2)commends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, Safe Kids Worldwide, and all other supportive organizations for their efforts to promote awareness about preventing and reducing unintentional injuries among children in the United States and around the globe; (3)encourages the private sector, the public health community, health care providers, advocacy organizations, and Federal, State, and local governments to work together to increase education and awareness about the prevention of childhood injuries; (4)urges national and community organizations, businesses, individuals, and the media to use The Year of the Safe Child to promote awareness of this important public health problem in order to reduce the incidence of unintentional injuries among children in the United States; and (5)urges the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe The Year of the Safe Child with appropriate activities.