[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 108 (Monday, July 28, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H5838-H5840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING USE OF CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP CAR SEAT 
                              SAFETY CHECK

  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 98) authorizing the use of the 
Capitol Grounds for the SAFE KIDS Buckle Up Car Seat Safety Check.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 98

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. USE OF CAPITOL GROUNDS.

       The National SAFE KIDS Campaign (in this resolution 
     referred to as the ``sponsor'') shall be permitted to sponsor 
     a public event, the SAFE KIDS Buckle Up Car Seat Safety 
     Check, on the Capitol grounds on August 27 and 28, 1997, or 
     on such other dates as the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
     may jointly designate.

     SEC. 2. TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

       (a) In General.--The event authorized to be conducted under 
     section 1 shall be free of admission charge to the public and 
     arranged not to interfere with the needs of Congress, under 
     conditions to be prescribed by the Architect of the Capitol 
     and the Capitol Police Board.
       (b) Expenses and Liabilities.--The sponsor shall assume 
     full responsibility for all expenses and liabilities incident 
     to all activities associated with the event.

     SEC. 3. EVENT PREPARATIONS.

       (a) Structures and Equipment.--Subject to the approval of 
     the Architect of the Capitol, the sponsor may erect upon the 
     Capitol grounds such stage, sound amplification devices, and 
     other related structures and equipment, and may take such 
     other actions, as may be required for the event authorized to 
     be conducted under section 1.
       (b) Additional Arrangements.--The Architect of the Capitol 
     and the Capitol Police Board may make such additional 
     arrangements as may be required to carry out the event.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Kim] and the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Lampson] each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim].
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 98, 
authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Safe Kids Car Seat 
Check on August 28, 1997. This event is sponsored by the National Safe 
Kids Campaign. This campaign will educate families about the importance 
of the proper installation and use of car seats for children. Parents 
will have the opportunity to have an expert inspect car seats for 
proper installation.
  There is a nationwide effort to conduct these inspections. This 
campaign is a grassroots effort intended to deliver important safety 
messages through more than 200 Safe Kids Coalitions and other private 
service organizations nationwide. This event is open to the public and 
free of charge and will be arranged not to interfere with the needs of 
Congress under the conditions prescribed by the Architect of the 
Capitol and the Capitol Police Board.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I join the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim] and other 
members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in 
bipartisan support for House Concurrent Resolution 98, which would 
authorize use of the Capitol Grounds for the Safe Kids Buckle Up 
program. The event is scheduled for August 28 and is part of a national 
effort to assist parents in protecting young children from the leading 
cause of unintentional death of children, which is motor vehicle 
injury.
  Each year, approximately 1,400 children die as motor vehicle 
passengers and more than 280,000 are seriously injured. I am deeply 
saddened to report that in my State of Texas, Mr. Speaker, 86 children 
age 8 and under died in motor vehicle crashes in 1995. Because

[[Page H5839]]

many of those children were completely unrestrained, many of those 
deaths could have been prevented.
  This event will focus on proper installation of car seats and provide 
other important preventive tips to reduce injury and increase child 
safety. Educating our families is critical to protecting our children 
from becoming national statistics. It is a very worthwhile event. It 
deserves our support. Mr. Speaker, it could prove to save lives.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim] and the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Shuster] as well as the gentleman from 
Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar] for their expeditious handling of this matter.
  In closing, I would like to thank both the gentleman from Maryland 
[Mr. Hoyer] and the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Morella] for their 
introducing the resolution and for focusing national attention on the 
importance of child safety seat use. Unfortunately the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Hoyer] could not come here this afternoon because of his 
involvement with the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Maryland [Mrs. Morella].
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to bring 
House Concurrent Resolution 98 to the House floor. This resolution will 
allow the National Safe Kids Campaign to use a small portion of the 
Capitol Hill Grounds to conduct a car seat safety check.
  I particularly want to thank the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim], 
the subcommittee chairman. I want to thank also the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania [Mr. Shuster], chairman of the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, and the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], 
the ranking member, for their leadership and support in moving this 
bill through the House in a timely manner.
  The Safe Kids Buckle Up initiative is a joint project between the 
National Safe Kids Campaign and General Motors Corp. to educate all 
families across America about the importance of buckling up on every 
ride. Child passenger safety is on the minds of citizens nationwide.
  This program will provide parents and care givers with essential 
information about properly securing children in an automobile. It is 
not an insignificant issue, Mr. Speaker. Motor vehicle crashes are the 
leading cause of unintentional injury-related death to children ages 14 
and under. Yet 40 percent of children are still riding unrestrained.
  More disturbing is the fact that of children who are buckled up, 8 
out of 10 are restrained incorrectly. Each year, more than 1,400 
children die as motor vehicle passengers and an additional 280,000 are 
injured. Tragically, most of these injuries could have been prevented. 
Car seats are proven life savers, reducing the risk of death by 69 
percent for infants and 47 percent for toddlers.
  Since 1990, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has 
reported that 43 children have died as a result of air bag deployment. 
This is a statistic that has prompted nationwide concern about air 
bags. But let me tell my colleagues the rest of the story. Thirty-nine 
of these children would have lived if they had been properly restrained 
in a child safety seat in the rear of their car. Eleven of those 
children were infants placed in the front seat of a car in a rear-
facing child seat, and 27 of those children were totally unrestrained, 
while two others were only wearing their lap belts.
  It will take a nationwide effort to combat this problem. Safe Kids 
Buckle Up is a grassroots effort that will disseminate key safety 
messages through more than 200 Safe Kids Coalitions, health and 
education outlets like hospitals and community health centers, and GM 
dealerships in all 50 States. In addition, educational workshops and 
car seat checkup events will be available at participating GM 
dealerships.
  The car seat checkup will be the highlight of the program which will 
take place at the foot of the Capitol on Thursday, August 28, to kick 
off the Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest travel weekends of the 
year. Federal employees, congressional Members and staff, and parents 
from the metropolitan area are all invited to participate. I am honored 
to say that I am supporting this event and the overall program along 
with the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer], the other chief sponsor 
of this legislation.

                              {time}  1500

  We urge everyone to support this concurrent resolution allowing this 
event to take place. Protecting our children is a national issue that 
deserves national attention.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 98, authorizing the use of the Capitol for the safe kids 
buckle-up car seat safety check.
  I have always believed, that it is of the utmost importance, that we 
protect those who are unable to protect themselves--our Nation's 
children.
  Sadly, in 1995, in North Carolina alone, 39 children, ages 8 and 
under died, as occupants in motor vehicle accidents. Of these, only 
nine, were restrained in child safety seats, and six were restrained by 
seat belts. Twenty-two of these children were completely unrestrained.
  In other words, many of these deaths could have been prevented, by 
proper child safety precautions.
  The safe kids buckle-up car seat safety check will help parents learn 
the importance of child safety seats, and it will help them ensure that 
the seats are used properly, so that we can prevent such tragic deaths 
in the future.
  This program will save children's lives.
  As a member of the bipartisan Missing and Exploited Children's 
Caucus, working for the safety of America's children, I strongly 
support House Concurrent Resolution 98.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning in support 
of House Concurrent Resolution 98, legislation authorizing the use of 
Capitol grounds for the safe kids buckle-up car seat safety check.
  The car seat safety check is an excellent program worthy of our 
support. At the event, parents will be able to bring their cars and 
have an expert verify that their car seat is properly installed. This 
service is performed free of charge so that it will be accessible to 
all families regardless of their income level.
  The car seat safety check will be sponsored by the National Safe Kids 
Campaign and by General Motors Corp. and is scheduled to be held on 
August 28. With a ``yes'' vote today we can ensure that it is held here 
on Capitol grounds thereby reinforcing the critical importance of 
properly restraining and protecting our Nation's children.
  It is a tragic fact that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause 
of unintentional injury related death among children ages 14 and under 
in the United States, accounting for more than 40 percent of all 
unintentional injury related deaths. In 1995, 2,900 children ages 14 
and under died, and more than 330,000 were injured, in motor-vehicle-
related crashes. Children ages 4 and under account for nearly 40 
percent of all childhood motor vehicle occupant deaths and nearly 30 
percent of injuries. In my home State of Texas, 86 children, ages 8 and 
under, died as occupants in motor-vehicle-related crashes in 1995. Of 
these only 10 were restrained in child safety seats.
  The majority of these deaths and injuries are preventable. For while 
motor vehicle safety features are designed for the comfort and 
protection of an adult-sized body, these same devices may place 
children at greater risk. Child safety seats and seat belts, however, 
when correctly used and installed, can prevent injury and save 
children's lives.
  Child safety seats when correctly installed and used, reduce the risk 
of death by 69 percent for infants under age 1 and by 47 percent for 
toddlers ages 1 to 4. In fact, it is estimated that if all child 
passengers ages 4 and under were restrained, 200 of those children 
could be saved from death and an additional 20,000 from injury a year. 
Sadly, however, almost 40 percent of children ride unrestrained by 
either child car seats or seat belts, and even when installed, 8 out of 
10 car seats are installed improperly.
  I urge my colleagues to vote with me this afternoon in support of 
House Concurrent Resolution 98 and the safe kids buckle-up car seat 
safety check. This is a vote for our children's lives. Thank you.
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I have no other requests for time, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers either, so I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. Goodlatte]. The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim] that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House 
Concurrent Resolution 98.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof)

[[Page H5840]]

the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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