[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3932-S3935]
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-258. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress to review and support H.R. 3930, the National 
     Commission on the Structure of the Army Act of 2014; to the 
     Committee on Armed Services.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 69

       Whereas, H.R. 3930 was introduced on January 27, 2014, and 
     seeks to establish the National Commission on the Structure 
     of the Army to undertake a comprehensive study of the 
     structure of the Army; and
       Whereas, the focus of this study is to determine two 
     factors, which include the proper force mixture of the active 
     component and reserve component, and how the structure should 
     be modified to best fulfill mission requirements in a manner 
     that is consistent with available resources; and
       Whereas, H.R. 3930 also directs the commission to give 
     careful consideration in evaluating a structure that meets 
     current and anticipated requirements of combat commands, 
     achieves a cost-efficient balance between the regular and 
     reserve components with particular focus on fully burdened 
     and lifestyle costs of Army personnel, and ensures that the 
     regular and reserve components possess the capacity needed to 
     support homeland defense and disaster assistance missions in 
     the United States; and
       Whereas, H.R. 3930 further provides for sufficient numbers 
     of regular members of the Army to provide a base of trained 
     personnel from which the personnel of the reserve components 
     could be recruited; maintains a peacetime rotation force to 
     support operational tempo goals of a ratio of one to two for 
     regular members and a ratio of one to five for members of the 
     reserve components; and further maximizes and appropriately 
     balances affordability, efficiency, effectiveness, 
     capability, and readiness; and
       Whereas, H.R. 3930 further prohibits the use of any funds 
     made available for the 2015 Fiscal Year for the Army to 
     divest, retire, or transfer any aircraft of Army assigned 
     units of the Army National Guard as of January 15, 2014, or 
     to reduce personnel below the authorized end strength levels 
     of three hundred fifty thousand members of the Army National 
     Guard as of September 30, 2014: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to review and support 
     H.R. 3930, which would, if enacted, be known as the National 
     Commission on the Structure of the Army Act of 2014; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That a suitable copy of this Resolution be 
     transmitted to the presiding officers of the Senate and the 
     House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States 
     of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-259. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress to take such actions as are necessary to ensure 
     proper expenditures and the restoration of the Gulf Coast for 
     the benefit of all the citizens of the United States; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 50

       Whereas, on April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the 
     mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon which 
     resulted in the fire that eventually sank the rig, killing 
     eleven crewmen, and destroying Louisiana's delicate coast and 
     industries that rely on the coast with an estimated 4.1 
     million barrels of oil released over an eighty-seven day 
     period from the Macondo well five thousand feet below on the 
     ocean bottom; and
       Whereas, this incident has had a long-lasting impact on the 
     state's natural resources, including land, water, fish, 
     wildlife, fowl, and other biota, and likewise on the 
     livelihoods of Louisiana's citizens living along the coast; 
     and
       Whereas, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act also known 
     as the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1321, provides for 
     administrative and civil penalties for parties responsible 
     for unauthorized discharge of pollutants into United States 
     waters as occurred during the Deepwater Horizon disaster; and
       Whereas, these fines estimated between $5.4 billion and 
     $21.1 billion would ordinarily be deposited into the Oil 
     Spill Liability Trust Fund pursuant to the Clean Water Act; 
     however, congress passed the Resources and Ecosystems 
     Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies 
     of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE) that requires 
     eighty percent of the fines to be deposited into the Gulf 
     Coast Restoration Trust Fund (trust fund) for restoration 
     efforts in the five coastal states damaged by the spill: 
     Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas; and
       Whereas, the monies from the trust fund will be principally 
     divided into three funding mechanisms, the Direct Component 
     that evenly distributes thirty-five percent to the five 
     affected states; the Comprehensive Plan Component that 
     directs thirty percent to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem 
     Restoration Council to implement a comprehensive Gulf Coast 
     wide recovery plan; and the Spill Impact Component that 
     distributes thirty percent to the affected states based upon 
     a formula calculated on the miles of coastline affected by 
     the oil spill, distance from Deepwater Horizon, and the 
     average 2010 population; and
       Whereas, unfortunately, Louisiana has recent experience in 
     administering restoration and recovery programs in the wake 
     of disasters such as hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and 
     Isaac and has learned the value of real-time audit practices 
     in terms of ensuring proper expenditures, providing guidance 
     to program administrators, and assuring transparency of 
     decisions for the public; and
       Whereas, auditing after the fact provides little assistance 
     for parish and county governments with minimal resources to 
     recoup

[[Page S3933]]

     large sums in the case of improper expenditures; and
       Whereas, the RESTORE Act provides for up to three percent 
     for administrative costs; there remains uncertainty whether 
     those funds are only for the cost of the United States 
     Treasury Department administering the RESTORE Act and whether 
     those funds can be utilized by state and local governments 
     for real-time audits: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary for the proper allocation of resources on 
     the federal, state, and local level to fund real-time audit 
     practices in developing, planning, constructing, and 
     executing projects funded by the RESTORE Act's Gulf Coast 
     Restoration Trust Fund to ensure proper expenditures and the 
     restoration of the Gulf Coast for the benefit of all the 
     citizens of the United States; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-260. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the Congress of the 
     United States to review the Government Pension Offset and the 
     Windfall Elimination Provision Social Security benefit 
     reductions and to consider eliminating or reducing them by 
     enacting the Social Security Fairness Act of 2013; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                   Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 5

       Whereas, the Congress of the United States of America has 
     enacted both the Government Pension Offset (GPO), reducing 
     the spousal and survivor Social Security benefit, and the 
     Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), reducing the earned 
     Social Security benefit for any person who also receives a 
     public pension benefit; and
       Whereas, congress enacted these reduction provisions to 
     provide a disincentive for public employees to receive two 
     pensions; and
       Whereas, the GPO negatively affects a spouse or survivor 
     receiving a federal, state, or local government retirement or 
     pension benefit who would also be entitled to a Social 
     Security benefit earned by a spouse; and
       Whereas, the GPO formula reduces the spousal or survivor 
     Social Security benefit by two-thirds of the amount of the 
     federal, state, or local government retirement or pension 
     benefit received by the spouse or survivor, in many cases 
     completely eliminating the Social Security benefit earned by 
     the spouse even though the spouse paid Social Security taxes 
     for many years; and
       Whereas, the GPO often reduces spousal benefits so 
     significantly it makes the difference between self-
     sufficiency and poverty; and
       Whereas, the GPO has a harsh effect on thousands of 
     citizens and undermines the original purpose of the Social 
     Security dependent/survivor benefit; and
       Whereas, the GPO negatively impacts over thirty thousand 
     Louisianians; and
       Whereas, the WEP applies to those persons who have earned 
     federal, state, or local government retirement or pension 
     benefits, in addition to working in employment covered under 
     Social Security and paying into the Social Security system; 
     and
       Whereas, the WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefit 
     using an averaged indexed monthly earnings formula and may 
     reduce Social Security benefits for affected persons by as 
     much as one-half of the retirement benefit earned as a public 
     servant in employment not covered under Social Security; and
       Whereas, the WEP causes hardworking individuals to lose a 
     significant portion of the Social Security benefits that they 
     earn themselves; and
       Whereas, the WEP negatively impacts over thirty thousand 
     Louisianans; and
       Whereas, in certain circumstances both the WEP and GPO can 
     be applied to a qualifying survivor's benefit, each 
     independently reducing the available benefit and in 
     combination eliminating a large portion of the total Social 
     Security benefit available to the survivor; and
       Whereas, the calculation characteristics of the GPO and the 
     WEP have a disproportionately negative effect on employees 
     working in lower-wage government jobs, like policemen, 
     firefighters, teachers, and state employees; and
       Whereas, Louisiana is making every effort to improve the 
     quality of life of its citizens and to encourage them to live 
     here lifelong, yet the current GPO and WEP provisions 
     compromise their quality of life; and
       Whereas, individuals drastically affected by the GPO or WEP 
     may have no choice but to return to work after retirement in 
     order to make ends meet, but the income earned during this 
     post-retirement employment may cause additional reductions to 
     the Social Security benefits to which the individual is 
     entitled; and
       Whereas, retired individuals affected by both GPO and WEP 
     have significantly less money to support their basic needs 
     and sometimes must rely on government assistance programs to 
     bridge the gap; and
       Whereas, the GPO and the WEP penalize individuals who have 
     dedicated their lives to public service by taking away 
     benefits they have earned; and
       Whereas, our nation should respect, not penalize, public 
     servants; and
       Whereas, the number of people affected by the GPO and WEP 
     is growing daily as the baby boomers attain retirement age 
     and advances in health care increase longevity; and
       Whereas, the GPO and WEP are established in federal law, 
     and repeal of the GPO and the WEP can only be enacted by 
     congress: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States of America to 
     review the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall 
     Elimination Provision Social Security benefit reductions and 
     to consider eliminating or reducing them by enacting the 
     Social Security Fairness Act of 2013 (S. 896 and H.R. l795); 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-261. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the Congress of the 
     United States to review the Government Pension Offset and the 
     Windfall Elimination Provision Social Security benefit 
     reductions and to consider eliminating or reducing them; to 
     the Committee on Finance.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 33

       Whereas, the Congress of the United States of America has 
     enacted both the Government Pension Offset (GPO), reducing 
     the spousal and survivor Social Security benefit, and the 
     Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), reducing the earned 
     Social Security benefit for any person who also receives a 
     public pension benefit; and
       Whereas, the intent of congress in enacting the GPO and the 
     WEP provisions was to address concerns that a public employee 
     who had worked primarily in federal, state, or local 
     government employment might receive a public pension in 
     addition to the same Social Security benefit as a worker who 
     has worked only in employment covered by Social Security 
     throughout his career; and
       Whereas, congress enacted these reduction provisions to 
     provide a disincentive for public employees to receive two 
     pensions; and
       Whereas, the GPO negatively affects a spouse or survivor 
     receiving a federal, state, or local government retirement or 
     pension benefit who would also be entitled to a Social 
     Security benefit earned by a spouse; and
       Whereas, the GPO formula reduces the spousal or survivor 
     Social Security benefit by two-thirds of the amount of the 
     federal, state, or local government retirement or pension 
     benefit received by the spouse or survivor, in many cases 
     completely eliminating the Social Security benefit even 
     though their spouses paid Social Security taxes for many 
     years; and
       Whereas, the GPO has a harsh effect on hundreds of 
     thousands of citizens and undermines the original purpose of 
     the Social Security dependent/survivor benefit; and
       Whereas, according to the Social Security Administration, 
     in 2013, at least 614,644 individuals nationally were 
     affected by the GPO; and
       Whereas, the WEP applies to those persons who have earned 
     federal, state, or local government retirement or pension 
     benefits, in addition to working in employment covered under 
     Social Security and paying into the Social Security system; 
     and
       Whereas, WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefit 
     using an averaged indexed monthly earnings formula and may 
     reduce Social Security benefits for affected persons by as 
     much as one-half of the retirement benefit earned as a public 
     servant in employment not covered under Social Security; and
       Whereas, the WEP causes hardworking individuals to lose a 
     significant portion of the Social Security benefits that they 
     earn themselves; and
       Whereas, according to the Social Security Administration, 
     in 2013, at least 1,549,544 individuals nationally were 
     affected by the WEP; and
       Whereas, in certain circumstances both the WEP and GPO can 
     be applied to a qualifying survivor's benefit, each 
     independently reducing the available benefit and in 
     combination eliminating a large portion of the total Social 
     Security benefit available to the survivor; and
       Whereas, because of the calculation characteristics of the 
     GPO and the WEP, they have a disproportionately negative 
     effect on employees working in lower-wage government jobs, 
     like policemen, firefighters, teachers, and state employees; 
     and
       Whereas, Louisiana is making every effort to improve the 
     quality of life of its citizens and to encourage them to live 
     here lifelong, yet the current GPO and WEP provisions 
     compromise their quality of life; and
       Whereas, the number of people affected by GPO and WEP is 
     growing every day as more and more people reach retirement 
     age; and
       Whereas, individuals drastically affected by the GPO or WEP 
     may have no choice but to return to work after retirement in 
     order to make ends meet, but the earnings accumulated during 
     this return to work can further reduce the Social Security 
     benefits the individual is entitled to; and
       Whereas, the GPO and WEP are established in federal law, 
     and repeal of the GPO and the WEP can only be enacted by 
     congress: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the Congress of the United States of America to 
     review the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall

[[Page S3934]]

     Elimination Provision Social Security benefit reductions and 
     to consider eliminating or reducing them; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-262. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Louisiana expressing sympathy in 
     support of the families of victims of massacres and 
     atrocities perpetrated against the Armenian people in 
     Azerbaijan and requesting that the President of the United 
     States and the Congress exert all available influence on the 
     government of Azerbaijan to cease the falsification of the 
     historical facts and bring to justice those responsible in 
     Azerbaijan; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                       Senate Resolution No. 166

       Whereas, the Armenian populated area of Nagorno-Karabakh is 
     located between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of 
     Azerbaijan; and
       Whereas, in 1920 the Soviet Union forcibly established 
     control over the areas of Armenia and Azerbaijan; and
       Whereas, the Soviet Union created the Nagorno-Karabakh 
     Autonomous Oblast within Azerbaijan in 1923 and this region 
     became a source of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan; 
     and
       Whereas, in 1988, the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh 
     peacefully demonstrated against Azerbaijan for the right of 
     self-determination and individual freedom from repression and 
     discrimination; and
       Whereas, in February 1988, in the seaside town of Sumgait 
     in Soviet Azerbaijan a pogrom targeted the Armenian 
     population when mobs composed of largely ethnic Azerbaijans 
     formed groups which attacked and killed hundreds of Armenians 
     on the streets, in their apartments in a situation that was 
     allowed to continue by Soviet and Azerbaijan officials for 
     three days before government forces imposed a state of 
     martial law and curfew bringing the crisis to an end; and
       Whereas, the crimes committed against Armenians in Sumgait 
     remain unpunished thereby opening the door for similar 
     atrocities against the Armenian people starting in the 
     capital Baku and spreading to other areas of Azerbaijan and 
     Nagorno-Karabakh; and
       Whereas, Azerbaijan seeks to avoid responsibility for the 
     violence and atrocities by falsifying historical events and 
     by portraying the involvement of Soviet troops to Baku to 
     restore order on the seventh day of the Armenian atrocities 
     as a crackdown on the alleged independence movement in 
     Azerbaijan; and
       Whereas, it is well known that there was no large scale 
     movement for independence in Azerbaijan due to the fact in a 
     March 1991, referendum that more than 94% of the Azerbaijan 
     constituencies favored preserving the Soviet Union; and
       Whereas, Azerbaijan continues to distort events of other 
     atrocities, including the events in the village of Khojaly in 
     which Azerbaijan troops fired on their own population and the 
     deportation of Armenian villages in Nagorno-Karabakh: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 
     does hereby express sympathy in support of the families of 
     victims of massacres and atrocities perpetrated against the 
     Armenian people in Azerbaijan; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate requests that the President of 
     the United States and the Congress exert all available 
     influence on the government of Azerbaijan to cease the 
     falsification of the historical facts and bring to justice 
     those in Azerbaijan who are responsible for the Armenian 
     massacres in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad, Maragha, Nagomo-
     Karabahk, and of the citizens of Khojaly; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be 
     transmitted to the President of the United States of America, 
     the secretary of the United States Senate, the clerk of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and each member of 
     the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-263. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress to take such actions as are necessary to raise 
     awareness of human trafficking and sex trafficking to abolish 
     this modern-day slavery and continue to aid Nigeria in the 
     plight of finding the remaining two hundred seventy-six 
     missing girls; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 138

       Whereas, on April 14, 2014, three hundred twenty-nine girls 
     were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Nigeria, by 
     dozens of gunmen who stormed the girls dormitories while they 
     were sleeping; and
       Whereas, in a region where only four percent of girls 
     complete secondary schooling, the kidnapped girls were the 
     best and the brightest; looking forward to bright futures as 
     global leaders, teachers, or lawyers; and
       Whereas, the girls were abducted by a radical Islamic group 
     called Boko Haram, which in English, means ``Western 
     education is sinful''; and
       Whereas, on January 31, 2012, in testimony before United 
     States Congress, the director of national intelligence, James 
     Clapper, included Boko Haram in his worldwide threat 
     assessment, stating, ``There are also fears that Boko Haram, 
     elements of which have engaged al-Qa'ida in the Islamic 
     Maghreb, is interested in hitting Western targets, such as 
     the United States Embassy and hotels frequented by 
     Westerners''; and
       Whereas, the United States has offered a seven million 
     dollar bounty for the group's elusive leader, Abubakar 
     Shekau; and
       Whereas, the Department of State designated Boko Haram as a 
     Foreign Terrorist Organization in November 2013, recognizing 
     the threat posed by the group's large-scale and 
     indiscriminate attacks against civilians, including women and 
     children; and
       Whereas, fifty-three girls were able to escape and have 
     described their experiences as extremely distressing; and
       Whereas, concern is growing about the safety of those who 
     are still missing; and
       Whereas, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted 
     offers from the United States of military personnel, law 
     enforcement officials, and other experts; and
       Whereas Boko Haram's militant leader, Abubakar Shekau, 
     released a video in which he expresses his abhorrence of 
     Western education, saying that the girls should be married 
     instead of being educated and further claims that he will 
     sell the women as he has been commanded by Allah; and
       Whereas, Abubakar Shekau referred to the girls as slaves 
     and stated that he plans to kidnap more girls; and
       Whereas, United Nations and the United States have both 
     stressed an absolute prohibition against slavery and sexual 
     slavery in international law, making these actions crimes 
     against humanity; and
       Whereas, the White House press secretary has said that 
     appropriate action must be taken to locate and to free these 
     young women before they are trafficked or killed; and
       Whereas, Louisiana has taken a most aggressive stand to 
     abolish and condemn slavery among women in Louisiana and 
     worldwide: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to raise awareness of human trafficking and 
     sex trafficking to abolish this modern-day slavery and 
     continue to aid Nigeria in the plight of finding the 
     remaining two hundred seventy-six missing girl; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-264. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass the 
     Diabetic Testing Supply Access Act; to the Committee on 
     Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 122

       Whereas, the Diabetic Testing Supply Access Act would allow 
     Medicare to reimburse retail community pharmacies for 
     delivery of diabetic testing supplies to Medicare recipients' 
     homes; and
       Whereas, seniors would be safe from entering hazardous 
     circumstances, risking debilitating falls, or other 
     comparable inconveniences to obtain diabetic testing supplies 
     because of lack of supply delivery; and
       Whereas, the cost of delivery of diabetic testing supplies 
     may be equivalent regardless of whether they are delivered 
     same-day by local pharmacies or through the mail; and
       Whereas, the integrity of health care access to seniors in 
     need of diabetic testing supply access would be increased; 
     and
       Whereas, in July 2013, the Diabetic Testing Supply Access 
     Act of 2013 was introduced as H.R. 2845 by United States 
     Representative Peter Welch of Vermont, and
       Whereas, in January 2014, Senator John Thune of South 
     Dakota introduced the Diabetic Testing Supply Access Act of 
     2014 as S. 1935; and
       Whereas, the percentage of people diagnosed with diabetes 
     from 1980-2011 for those aged sixty-five to seventy-four 
     years increased one hundred forty percent, and one hundred 
     twenty-five percent for those age seventy-five years and 
     older, and the overall prevalence of diagnosed diabetes has 
     risen sharply among all groups for which data is available; 
     and
       Whereas, community pharmacies play a pivotal role in 
     affordable and accessible health care within rural and other 
     underserved communities by providing delivery services: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to pass the Diabetic Testing Supply Access 
     Act; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-265. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass the 
     Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013; to the 
     Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

[[Page S3935]]

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 153

       Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, mental illness is defined as ``health conditions 
     that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or 
     behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with 
     distress and/or impaired function''; and
       Whereas, approximately sixty-one million five hundred 
     thousand Americans experience mental illness in a given year; 
     and
       Whereas, approximately thirteen million six hundred 
     thousand Americans live with a serious mental illness such as 
     schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder; and
       Whereas, more than eleven million Americans have severe 
     schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression; and
       Whereas, one-half of all chronic mental illness begins by 
     the age of fourteen; and
       Whereas, fewer than one-third of adults and one-half of 
     children with a diagnosed mental disorder receive mental 
     health services in a given year; and
       Whereas, individuals living with mental health challenges 
     and their families soon discover that the illness affects 
     many aspects of their lives and that they need more than 
     medical help; and
       Whereas, many loved ones are left feeling hopeless in 
     receiving effective and appropriate treatment for their 
     family members who suffer from mental illness; and
       Whereas, there is a need to better allocate current 
     resources to focus on the most effective services and most 
     severe mental illnesses; and
       Whereas, it is prudent to promote stronger interagency 
     coordination, increase data collection on treatment outcomes, 
     and raise efforts to drive evidence-based care; and
       Whereas, Congressman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania has 
     introduced the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act 
     of 2013 as H.R. 3717; and
       Whereas, the bill will create within the Department of 
     Health and Human Services a new assistant secretary for 
     mental health and substance-abuse disorders who would lead 
     federal mental illness efforts, be responsible for promoting 
     the medically oriented models of care adopted by the National 
     Institute of Mental Health, and oversee the grant process 
     while holding community centers accountable by ensuring they 
     are meeting evidence-based standards; and
       Whereas, H.R. 3717 would push states to efficiently 
     allocate funds towards modernizing mental illness state laws 
     and raise support for community mental health centers and 
     hospital psychiatric care; and
       Whereas, to address issues regarding the shortage of 
     psychiatric professionals, the Helping Families in Mental 
     Health Crisis Act of 2013 would advance medical tools like 
     telepsychiatry which links primary physicians in underserved 
     areas to psychiatric professionals in order to decrease the 
     average span of time between an initial episode of psychosis 
     for a patient and his preliminary evaluation and treatment 
     procedures; and
       Whereas, H.R. 3717 would give physicians legal safe harbor 
     to volunteer at understaffed mental health centers; and
       Whereas, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act 
     of 2013 will adjust the federal privacy law known as the 
     Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, by 
     allowing mental health professionals and families to share 
     information about loved ones to promote more appropriate and 
     effective treatment procedures: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to pass the Helping Families in Mental 
     Health Crisis Act of 2013; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-266. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress to amend the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 
     or to take such actions as are necessary to require that 
     places of public accommodation and commercial facilities be 
     equipped with seating for persons who are unable to rise from 
     a seated position without assistance; to the Committee on 
     Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 95

       Whereas, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act 
     of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12181) requires places of public 
     accommodation and commercial facilities to be designed, 
     constructed, and altered in compliance with the accessibility 
     standards established by federal regulation; and
       Whereas, as our population ages and our veterans return 
     home from overseas, there is a growing population who are 
     unable to rise from the seated position without physical 
     hands-on assistance from others, including strangers; and
       Whereas, the need to require assistance from others to 
     complete the task of rising from a seated position robs 
     persons of their independence and dignity; and
       Whereas, if seating accommodations were to be equipped with 
     raised arms or parts from which a person could push when 
     rising then this would eliminate the need for persons to 
     obtain assistance from others: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress to amend the Americans 
     with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12181) or to take 
     such actions as are necessary to require that places of 
     public accommodation and commercial facilities be equipped 
     with seating for persons who are unable to rise from a seated 
     position without assistance; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional 
     delegation.

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