[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5083-S5084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-71. A joint resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Legislature of the State of Maine 
     memorializing the President 'and Congress to fulfill the 
     intent to fund sixty percent of the costs of special 
     education and to end unfunded mandates; to the Committee on 
     Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                            Joint Resolution

       We, your Memorialists, the Members of the One Hundred and 
     Twenty-third Legislaure of the State of Maine now assembled 
     in the First Regular Session, most respectfully present and 
     petition the President of the United States and the Congress 
     of the United States as follows:
       Whereas, the Congress of the United States has found that 
     all children deserve a high-quality education, including 
     children with disabilities; and
       Whereas, the federal Individuals with Disabilities 
     Education Act, 20 United States Code, Section 1400. et seq., 
     provides that the Federal Government and state and local 
     governments are to share in the expense of education for 
     children with disabilities and commits the Federal Government 
     to provide funds to assist with the excess expenses of 
     education for children with disabilities; and
       Whereas, the Congress of the United States has committed to 
     contribute up to 40 percent of the average per-pupil 
     extenditure of educating children with disabilities and the 
     Federal Government has failed to meet this commitment to 
     assit the states; and

[[Page S5084]]

       Whereas, the Federal Government has never contributed more 
     than a fraction of the national average per-pupil expenditure 
     to assist with the excess expenses of educating children with 
     disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities 
     Education Act; and
       Whereas, this failure of the Federal Government to meet its 
     commitment to assist with the excess expenses of educatirg a 
     child with a disability contradicts the goal of ensuring that 
     children with disabilities receive a high-quality education; 
     and
       Whereas, the imposition of unfunded mandates by the Federal 
     Government on state governments interferes with the 
     separation of powers between the 2 levels of government and 
     the ability of each state to determine the issues and 
     concerns of that state and what resources should be directed 
     to address these issues and concerns; and
       Whereas, the Federal Government recognized the inequalities 
     of unfunded mandates on state governments when it passed the 
     Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995; and
       Whereas, since the passage of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
     Act of 1995, however, the Federal Government continues to 
     impose unfunded mandates on state governments, including in 
     areas such as special education requirement: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge and 
     request that the President of the United States and the 
     Congress of the United States either provide 60 percent of 
     the national average per-pupil expenditure to assist states 
     and local education agencies with the excess costs of 
     educating children with disabilities or amend the Individuals 
     with Disabilities Education Act to allow the states more 
     flexibility in implementing its mandates; and be it further
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge and 
     request that the Congress of the United States revisit and 
     reconfirm the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995 and put the 
     intent and purpose of the Act into practice by ending 
     imposition of unfunded federal mandates on state governments; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the Honrable George W. Bush, President of the United States, 
     to the President of the Senate of the United States, to the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States 
     and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-72. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Michigan urging the Department of 
     Homeland Security to complete an economic analysis of the 
     costs of compliance with the requirements of the federal Real 
     ID Act and the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.

                        Senate Resolution No. 20

       Whereas, in response to the need for heightened security 
     measures following the 9-11 attacks, Congress enacted the 
     Real ID Act in 2005. This legislation require the states to 
     dramatically redesign their respective driver's licenses. 
     Digital photos, proof of legal status, and centralized 
     database capabilities will be required. The act and the 
     Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative also greatly alter the 
     documentation required from American citizens seeking reentry 
     into this country; and
       Whereas, as the deadlines for full compliance with the 
     requirements of the Real ID Act approach, there remains a 
     significant level of confusion over how the states can meet 
     target dates and develop the necessary policies and 
     technology. With the size and scope of the task of 
     redesigning driver's licenses and increasing identification 
     procedures in all 50 states, the current uncertainties are 
     complicating our ability to make our homeland more secure; 
     and
       Whereas, as with any undertaking of this magnitude, there 
     are major costs involved. At this point, however, there seems 
     to be no comprehensive estimate of the overall economic 
     impact of complying with the Real ID Act and the Western 
     Hemisphere Travel Initiative; and
       Whereas, the multiple issues involved in following the 
     provisions of the Real ID Act and the Western Hemisphere 
     Travel Initiative are vitally important in Michigan. With 
     some of the world's busiest international crossing points, 
     especially at the Detroit/Windsor border, Michigan has a 
     strong stake in this transition proceeding smoothly and with 
     all the information needed to do so: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the United States 
     Department of Homeland Security to complete an economic 
     analysis of the costs of compliance with the requirements of 
     the federal Real ID Act and the Western Hemisphere Travel 
     Initiative; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Office 
     of the President of the United States; the United States 
     Secretary of State; the President of the United States 
     Senate; the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives; the chairs and ranking members of the United 
     States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the United States 
     Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
     the United States House Homeland Security Committee, and the 
     United States House International Relations Committee; the 
     members of the Michigan congressional delegation; and the 
     Michigan Secretary of State.
                                  ____

       POM-73. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Michigan memorializing the 
     Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security 
     to develop a pilot program in Michigan for a dual purpose 
     state driver's license/personal identification card to comply 
     with the provisions of the Real ID Act and the Western 
     Hemisphere Travel Initiative; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                        Senate Resolution No. 21

       Whereas, in response to the need for heightened security 
     measures following the 9-11 attacks, Congress enacted the 
     Real ID Act in 2005. This legislation requires the states to 
     dramatically redesign their respective driver's licenses. 
     Digital photos, proof of legal status, and centralized 
     database capabilities will be required; and
       Whereas, another component of recent federal legislation, 
     the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, also greatly alters 
     the documentation required from American citizens seeking 
     reentry into this country. By January 1, 2008, for example, 
     United Sates citizens may be required to show passports when 
     they drive across the border from Canada; and
       Whereas, with the new requirements of the Real ID Act, 
     state driver's licenses would closely mirror passports not 
     only in the way they are used by travelers, but also in 
     providing a higher level of identification. There is an 
     opportunity in this transition to explore the possibility of 
     combining the secure technology of a passport into the 
     driver's license and realizing significant savings without 
     compromising the security that is the goal of the federal 
     legislation; and
       Whereas, with some of the busiest international crossing 
     points in the world, Michigan is well-suited for a pilot 
     project to develop a dual driver's license/passport. With $70 
     billion worth of commercial traffic and nearly 3 million 
     visitors crossing the Michigan/Canadian border each year, 
     including thousands crossing for their jobs each day, 
     Michigan has an unsurpassed stake in how the Western 
     Hemisphere Travel Initiative is implemented; and
       Whereas, Michigan's Secretary of State is in strong support 
     of the concept of exploring a dual purpose state driver's 
     license/personal identification card. The impact of such a 
     project here could reap widespread benefits for our entire 
     country: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the United 
     States Department of State and the Department of Homeland 
     Security to work with the Michigan Secretary of State to 
     develop a pilot program in Michigan for a dual purpose state 
     driver's license/personal identification card to comply with 
     the provisions of the Real ID Act and the Western Hemisphere 
     Travel Initiative; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Office 
     of the President of the United States; the United States 
     Secretary of State; the President of the United States 
     Senate; the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives; the chairs and ranking members of the United 
     States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the United States 
     Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
     the United States House Homeland Security Committee, and the 
     United States House International Relations Committee; the 
     members of the Michigan congressional delegation; and the 
     Michigan Secretary of State.
                                  ____

       POM-74. A resolution adopted by the Board of County 
     Commissioners of Miami-Dade County in the State of Florida 
     urging the Florida Legislature to require Florida schools to 
     provide information to 11- and 12-year old girls and their 
     parents about the Human Papillomavirus, the vaccine against 
     HPV, and Cervical Cancer that results from HPV; to the 
     Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
       POM-75. A resolution adopted by the Board of County 
     Commissioners of Miami-Dade County in the State of Florida 
     urging Congress to fully fund the local mandates included in 
     the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-76. A resolution adopted by the Board of County 
     Commissioners of Miami-Dade County in the State of Florida 
     urging the Florida Legislature to provide for creation of the 
     Magic City Children's Zone Pilot Project; to the Committee on 
     Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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