[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 241 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 241

    Expressing support for the designation of November 16, 2011, as 
            National Information and Referral Services Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2011

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Blumenthal, 
   Mr. Johanns, and Mr. Nelson of Nebraska) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
                          Labor, and Pensions

                           November 15, 2011

             Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing support for the designation of November 16, 2011, as 
            National Information and Referral Services Day.

Whereas information and referral services link the consumer who has a need or 
        problem with the most appropriate service to address that need or solve 
        that problem;
Whereas quality information and referral services are the keystone point of 
        entry to the entire human services structure delivery system;
Whereas information and referral services have been recognized in Federal 
        legislation for more than 35 years since the 1973 reauthorization of the 
        Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), and the subsequent 
        establishment of the national Eldercare Locator and the development of 
        Aging and Disability Resource Centers;
Whereas, as of the date of agreement to this resolution, the United States is 
        served by information and referral through 2-1-1 programs, aging 
        information and referral services, Aging and Disability Resource 
        Centers, child care resource and referral services, military family 
        centers, and other specialty information and referral services;
Whereas individuals who understand the variety of services available are better 
        equipped to make decisions;
Whereas, in 1997, the national 2-1-1 initiative began with the United Way of 
        Metropolitan Atlanta creating the first 24-hour telephone information 
        and referral service using the easy-to-remember 2-1-1 dialing code for 
        access;
Whereas, in 2000, the Federal Communications Commission reserved the 2-1-1 
        dialing code for community information and referral services, intended 
        as an easy-to-remember and universally recognizable number that would 
        serve as a vital connection between individuals and families in need, 
        and appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies, 
        on a regular basis and in times of disaster;
Whereas the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems has been providing 
        professional standards and credentialing programs for those operating 
        information and referral services;
Whereas expanding access to information about, and referrals to, services 
        provides individuals with lower cost and safer options for managing 
        their needs, and is likely to reduce confusion, frustration, and 
        inaccessibility to services; and
Whereas requests for assistance through information and referral services and 2-
        1-1 have increased across the United States due to the economic crisis: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of November 16, 
        2011, as National Information and Referral Services Day--
                    (A) to raise public awareness about the existence 
                and importance of information and referral services 
                available to all people in the United States; and
                    (B) to more effectively target those services to 
                reach individuals most in need;
            (2) encourages activities in communities across the United 
        States involving schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, 
        and other entities to ensure information and referral services 
        are part of everyday life in addition to emergency preparedness 
        programs; and
            (3) reaffirms the importance of clear and consistent 
        professional standards to govern every aspect of quality 
        information and referral services.
                                 <all>