[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 117 (Thursday, July 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4945-S4950]
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-254. 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 that 
     Tricare adequately covers behavioral therapies for military 
     dependents; to the Committee on Armed Services.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 96

       Whereas, Tricare is the health program of the United States 
     Department of Defense that finances health services delivered 
     by civilian healthcare providers to nearly nine million five 
     hundred thousand United States military personnel, military 
     retirees, and dependents of military families; and
       Whereas, pursuant to a congressional mandate enacted in 
     2016, the military consolidated its three Tricare regions 
     into two on January 1 of this year, marking the most 
     extensive reform to Tricare since the program transitioned 
     from a fee-for-service model to a managed care model in the 
     mid-1990s; and
       Whereas, though Tricare has largely resolved problems with 
     computer networks, communications systems, and customer 
     service that emerged during its recent consolidation, 
     military families continue to report facing significant 
     obstacles in access to behavioral therapies for children; and
       Whereas, according to behavioral therapy providers, these 
     obstacles result from inconsistent reimbursement, undue 
     delays in claims processing, problems with provider 
     credentialing, misclassification of services and levels of 
     coverage, and ongoing challenges in correcting errors by the 
     managed care companies which now serve Tricare beneficiaries; 
     and
       Whereas, behavioral therapies can be immensely beneficial 
     to children with autism and other behavioral or developmental 
     conditions; and
       Whereas, parents of special-needs children who have 
     benefitted from behavioral therapies strongly contend that 
     these specialized health services are not just beneficial, 
     but in fact life-changing, in that they give their children a 
     far better quality of life than would be possible without the 
     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 ensure that Tricare adequately covers 
     behavioral therapies for military dependents; 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-255. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of 
     the State of New Jersey urging the United States Congress to 
     enact H.R. 1411, the ``Transparent Summer Flounder Quotas 
     Act''; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                       Assembly Resolution No. 45

       Whereas, New Jersey fisheries are ranked among the best in 
     the nation and it is estimated that there are as many as one 
     million recreational saltwater anglers fishing in New Jersey; 
     and
       Whereas, The fishing industry contributes 20,000 jobs and 
     over $1 billion to the State economy each year; and
       Whereas, Of the many varieties of fish found off of New 
     Jersey's shores, summer flounder is among the most sought 
     after saltwater fish along the Atlantic Coast; and
       Whereas, Summer flounder fisheries are managed 
     cooperatively by the states through the Atlantic States 
     Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the Mid-Atlantic 
     Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); and
       Whereas, Together, these managing entities are responsible 
     for developing summer flounder fishery regulations as part of 
     the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery 
     Management Plan; and
       Whereas, The management plan is implemented through 
     regulations adopted by the National Marine Fisheries Service 
     (NMFS), a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration (NOAA) within the United States Department of 
     Commerce; and
       Whereas, The management plan is designed to ensure the 
     protection and maintenance of the summer flounder stock, 
     primarily through the establishment of harvest limits, which 
     are based on the most current stock assessment report 
     published by NOAA; and
       Whereas, Based on the 2016 Stock Assessment Update, the 
     ASMFC and MAFMC have recommended a 40 percent cut in catch 
     limits for the 2017 and 2018 summer flounder fishing seasons; 
     and
       Whereas, Highlighting NOAA's heavy reliance on random 
     sampling to gather data for the 2016 stock assessment report, 
     members of

[[Page S4946]]

     the New Jersey delegation to the United States Congress have 
     expressed concern about the accuracy of the estimates 
     contained in the report and have questioned the need to 
     implement such a drastic reduction in catch limits for the 
     upcoming season; and
       Whereas, The New Jersey Department of Environmental 
     Protection has expressed similar concerns, warning that the 
     drastic reduction in catch limits will devastate recreational 
     and commercial fishing in New Jersey and have a detrimental 
     effect on the economy of the New Jersey shore, particularly 
     as the State continues to recover from Superstorm Sandy; and
       Whereas, Despite significant opposition to the recommended 
     reduction in summer flounder catch limits, and the potential 
     for severe economic damage to the State, at the end of 
     December 2016 the NMFS adopted a rule implementing the 
     recommended reduction in summer flounder catch limits for the 
     2017 and 2018 fishing seasons; and
       Whereas, In order to mitigate the economic devastation that 
     may result from the reduced summer flounder quotas adopted by 
     the NMFS, United States Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. has 
     introduced legislation, co-sponsored by Congressman Frank 
     LoBiondo, which would prohibit enforcement of the reduced 
     summer flounder quotas until a new summer flounder stock 
     assessment is completed and a new rule establishing summer 
     flounder quotas is adopted based on the findings of the new 
     stock assessment; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. The President and Congress of the United States are 
     respectfully urged to enact House Bill No. 1411, known as the 
     ``Transparent Summer Flounder Quotas Act.''
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to thePresident of the United States, the President 
     of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
     Oceans and Atmosphere, the Assistant Administrator for 
     Fisheries, the Chair of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 
     Commission, the Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery 
     Management Council, the Commissioner of the New Jersey 
     Department of Environmental Protection, and every member of 
     Congress elected from the State of New Jersey.
                                  ____

       POM-256. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana memorializing the United States 
     Congress and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take 
     such actions as are necessary to treat oil and gas production 
     in the Gulf Coast states in a manner that is at least equal 
     to onshore oil, gas, and coal production in interior states 
     for revenue purposes; to rectify the revenue sharing 
     inequities between coastal and interior energy producing 
     states; and to ensure the dependability of such revenue 
     sharing; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 48

       Whereas, since 1920, interior states with mineral 
     production in the United States have been privy to a revenue 
     sharing agreement with the federal government that allowed 
     those states to keep fifty percent of the revenues generated 
     in their states from mineral production on federal lands 
     within their borders, including royalties, severance taxes, 
     and bonuses; and
       Whereas, coastal states with onshore and offshore oil and 
     gas production were not included in that revenue sharing 
     agreement and therefore face inequities under the federal 
     energy policies because those coastal states have not been 
     party to this same level of revenue sharing partnership with 
     the federal government; and
       Whereas, coastal energy producing states have a limited 
     partnership with the federal govermnent that allows them to 
     retain very little revenue generated from their offshore 
     energy production and transportation, and activities 
     associated with energy that are produced and transported for 
     use throughout the nation; and
       Whereas, in 2006 the United States Congress passed the Gulf 
     of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) from which the state 
     of Louisiana will begin receiving revenue sharing payments 
     from mineral production in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017; an Act 
     that calls for a sharing of thirty-seven and five tenths 
     percent of coastal production revenues with four gulf states 
     with a cap of five hundred million dollars per year; and
       Whereas, according to the most recent data from the United 
     States Energy Information Administration, Louisiana, 
     including its state waters, is the ninth largest producer of 
     oil in the United States while if offshore oil production 
     from federal waters is included, it is the second largest oil 
     producer in the country; and from wells located within the 
     state boundaries including the state waters, Louisiana is the 
     fourth largest producer of gas in the United States while if 
     gas production from federal offshore waters in the Gulf of 
     Mexico is included, it is the second largest gas producer in 
     the United States; and
       Whereas, with eighteen operating refineries in the state, 
     Louisiana is second only to Texas in both total number of 
     refineries and total refinery operating capacity, accounting 
     for nearly one-fifth of the nation's total refining capacity; 
     and
       Whereas, Louisiana contributes to the United States 
     Strategic Petroleum Reserve with two facilities located in 
     the state consisting of twenty-nine caverns capable of 
     holding nearly three hundred million barrels of crude oil; 
     and
       Whereas, with three onshore liquified natural gas (LNG) 
     facilities and others already permitted, more LNG facilities 
     than any other state in the country, and the Louisiana 
     Offshore Oil Port, the nation's only deepwater oil port, 
     Louisiana plays an essential role in the movement of natural 
     gas from the United States Gulf Coast region to markets 
     throughout the country; and
       Whereas, it is apparent that Louisiana plays an essential 
     role in supplying the nation with energy and it is vital to 
     the security of our nation's energy supply, roles that should 
     be recognized and compensated at an appropriate revenue 
     sharing level; and
       Whereas, the majority of the oil and gas production from 
     the Gulf of Mexico enters the United States through coastal 
     Louisiana with all of the infrastructure necessary to receive 
     and transport such production, infrastructure that has for 
     many decades damaged the coastal areas of Louisiana, an 
     impact that should be compensated through appropriate revenue 
     sharing with the federal government; and
       Whereas, because Louisiana is losing more coastal wetlands 
     than any other state in the country, in 2006 the people of 
     Louisiana overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment 
     dedicating revenues received from Outer Continental Shelf oil 
     and gas activity through GOMESA to the Coastal Protection and 
     Restoration Fund for the purposes of coastal protection, 
     including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane 
     protection, and infrastructure directly impacted by coastal 
     wetland losses; and
       Whereas, the state of Louisiana has developed, through a 
     science-based and stakeholder-involved process, a ``2017 
     Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast'' which 
     identifies and prioritizes the most efficient and effective 
     projects in order to meet the state's critical coastal 
     protection and restoration needs and has received many 
     accolades from the country's scientific community; and
       Whereas, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority 
     is making great progress implementing the projects in the 
     ``Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast'' with 
     all available funding, projects that are essential to the 
     protection of the infrastructure that is critical to the 
     energy needs of the United States; and
       Whereas, in order to properly compensate the coastal states 
     for the infrastructure demands that result from production of 
     energy and fuels that heat and cool the nation's homes, 
     offices, and businesses and fuel the nation's transportation 
     needs, revenue sharing for coastal states needs to at least 
     be at the same rate as interior states that produce oil, gas, 
     and coal: Therefore, be it Resolved, That the Legislature of 
     Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United States Congress 
     and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to take such 
     actions as are necessary to treat oil and gas production in 
     the Gulf Coast states in a manner that is at least equal to 
     onshore oil, gas, and coal production in interior states for 
     revenue purposes; and to rectify the revenue sharing 
     inequities between coastal and interior energy producing 
     states in order to address the nationally significant crisis 
     of wetland loss in the state of Louisiana; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the United States Congress and the Louisiana 
     Congressional Delegation, along with the delegations from the 
     other Gulf of Mexico states, to ensure that the agreement 
     codified through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act 
     remains in place and that the Gulf Coast states receive their 
     anticipated revenue sharing payments during Fiscal Year 2018-
     2019 and thereafter as provided for in the 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-257. 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 adopt and 
     enact legislation to be proposed that would establish the 
     Caddo Lake National Heritage Area; to the Committee on Energy 
     and Natural Resources.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 110

       Whereas, the Heritage Area Program is found in the Historic 
     Sites Act, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 
     and related statutes, and is under the jurisdiction of the 
     United States Department of the Interior and the National 
     Park Service; and
       Whereas, the National Historic Preservation Act establishes 
     a national policy for federal agencies to use measures such 
     as financial and technical assistance to foster conditions 
     under which our modern society and our prehistoric and 
     historic resources can exist in productive harmony and 
     fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of 
     present and future generations; and
       Whereas, each national heritage area has been authorized by 
     a specific federal statute in an effort to effectively carry 
     out the national policy with these same statutes assigning a 
     prominent role for the National Park Service to play in 
     nurturing the areas and supporting their success; and
       Whereas, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area program will 
     expand on traditional

[[Page S4947]]

     approaches to resource stewardship by supporting large-scale, 
     community centered initiatives that connect local citizens 
     through preservation, conservation, and planning processes 
     facilitated by a local coordinating entity, the Caddo Lake 
     National Heritage Area Commission, to provide assistance to 
     residents to improve their quality of life by protecting 
     their shared cultural and natural resources; and
       Whereas, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area Commission 
     will promote the conservation of natural, historic, scenic, 
     and cultural resources, while improving the area's economic 
     vitality, all guided by a management plan developed by the 
     commission and approved by the Secretary of the Interior; and
       Whereas, legislation will be filed in the 115th Congress, 
     Second Session, that will delineate a procedure to be 
     followed to establish the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area, 
     including a time line; and
       Whereas, nothing in the act establishing the Caddo Lake 
     National Heritage Area allows for abridging the rights of any 
     property owner including the right to refrain from 
     participating in any plan, project, program, or activity 
     conducted within the national heritage area; requiring any 
     property owner to permit public access to such property or to 
     modify any provisions of law with regard to public access or 
     use of private lands; altering any duly adopted land use 
     regulation or any approved land use plan; authorizing or 
     implying the reservation or appropriation of water or water 
     rights; diminishing the authority of the state to manage fish 
     and wildlife including the regulation of fishing and hunting 
     within a national heritage area; or creating any liability, 
     or having any effect on any liability under any other law, of 
     any private property owner with respect to any person injured 
     on such private property; and
       Whereas, the residents and agencies of the Caddo Lake area 
     were so eager to have Caddo Lake designated a National 
     Heritage Area that they embarked on the suitability and 
     feasibility study prior to ever contacting the National Park 
     Service to request their assistance or funding; and
       Whereas, the feasibility study examined whether Caddo Lake 
     is nationally distinctive and evaluated alternatives for 
     management, preservation, and interpretation of nationally 
     important cultural and historic landscapes, sites, and 
     structures in and around the Caddo Lake area, including its 
     tributaries of Cypress Bayou and James Bayou in Texas and 
     Louisiana and Black Bayou and Red Bayou along with Soda, 
     Shifftail, and Clear Lakes in Louisiana; and
       Whereas, establishment of the Caddo Lake National Heritage 
     Area would be of economic and cultural benefit to the 
     Shreveport and Caddo Parish area of our great state:
       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 adopt and enact the legislation to be 
     proposed that would establish the Caddo Lake National 
     Heritage Area; 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-258. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana memorializing the 
     United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary 
     to adopt and enact legislation to be proposed that would 
     establish the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                        House Resolution No. 219

       Whereas, the Heritage Area Program is found in the Historic 
     Sites Act, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 
     and related statutes, and is under the jurisdiction of the 
     United States Department of the Interior and the National 
     Park Service; and
       Whereas, the National Historic Preservation Act establishes 
     a national policy for federal agencies to use measures such 
     as financial and technical assistance to foster conditions 
     under which our modern society and our prehistoric and 
     historic resources can exist in productive harmony and 
     fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of 
     present and future generations; and
       Whereas, each national heritage area has been authorized by 
     a specific federal statute in an effort to effectively carry 
     out the national policy with these same statutes assigning a 
     prominent role for the National Park Service to play in 
     nurturing the areas and supporting their success; and
       Whereas, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area program will 
     expand on traditional approaches to resource stewardship by 
     supporting large-scale, community centered initiatives that 
     connect local citizens through preservation, conservation, 
     and planning processes facilitated by a local coordinating 
     entity, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area Commission, to 
     provide assistance to residents to improve their quality of 
     life by protecting their shared cultural and natural 
     resources; and
       Whereas, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area Commission 
     will promote the conservation of natural, historic, scenic, 
     and cultural resources, while improving the area's economic 
     vitality, all guided by a management plan developed by the 
     commission and approved by the Secretary of the Interior; and
       Whereas, legislation will be filed in the 115th Congress, 
     Second Session, that will delineate a procedure to be 
     followed to establish the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area, 
     including a time line; and
       Whereas, nothing in the act establishing the Caddo Lake 
     National Heritage Area allows for abridging the rights of any 
     property owner including the right to refrain from 
     participating in any plan, project, program, or activity 
     conducted within the national heritage area; requiring any 
     property owner to permit public access to such property or to 
     modify any provisions of law with regard to public access or 
     use of private lands; altering any duly adopted land use 
     regulation or any approved land use plan; authorizing or 
     implying the reservation or appropriation of water or water 
     rights; diminishing the authority of the state to manage fish 
     and wildlife including the regulation of fishing and hunting 
     within a national heritage area; or creating any liability, 
     or having any effect on any liability under any other law, of 
     any private property owner with respect to any person injured 
     on such private property; and
       Whereas, the residents and agencies of the Caddo Lake area 
     were so eager to have Caddo Lake designated a National 
     Heritage Area that they embarked on the suitability and 
     feasibility study prior to ever contacting the National Park 
     Service to request their assistance or funding; and
       Whereas, the feasibility study examined whether Caddo Lake 
     is nationally distinctive and evaluated alternatives for 
     management, preservation, and interpretation of nationally 
     important cultural and historic landscapes, sites, and 
     structures in and around the Caddo Lake area, including its 
     tributaries of Cypress Bayou and James Bayou in Texas and 
     Louisiana and Black Bayou and Red Bayou along with Soda, 
     Shifftail, and Clear Lakes in Louisiana; and
       Whereas, establishment of the Caddo Lake National Heritage 
     Area would be of economic and cultural benefit to the 
     Shreveport and Caddo Parish area of our great state. 
     Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United 
     States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to 
     adopt and enact the legislation to be proposed that would 
     establish the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area. 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-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 adopt and 
     enact legislation to be proposed that would establish the 
     Caddo Lake National Heritage Area; to the Committee on Energy 
     and Natural Resources.

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 110

       Whereas, the Heritage Area Program is found in the Historic 
     Sites Act, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 
     and related statutes, and is under the jurisdiction of the 
     United States Department of the Interior and the National 
     Park Service; and
       Whereas, the National Historic Preservation Act establishes 
     a national policy for federal agencies to use measures such 
     as financial and technical assistance to foster conditions 
     under which our modern society and our prehistoric and 
     historic resources can exist in productive harmony and 
     fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of 
     present and future generations; and
       Whereas, each national heritage area has been authorized by 
     a specific federal statute in an effort to effectively carry 
     out the national policy with these same statutes assigning a 
     prominent role for the National Park Service to play in 
     nurturing the areas and supporting their success; and
       Whereas, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area program will 
     expand on traditional approaches to resource stewardship by 
     supporting large-scale, community centered initiatives that 
     connect local citizens through preservation, conservation, 
     and planning processes facilitated by a local coordinating 
     entity, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area Commission, to 
     provide assistance to residents to improve their quality of 
     life by protecting their shared cultural and natural 
     resources; and
       Whereas, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area Commission 
     will promote the conservation of natural, historic, scenic, 
     and cultural resources, while improving the area's economic 
     vitality, all guided by a management plan developed by the 
     commission and approved by the Secretary of the Interior; and
       Whereas, legislation will be filed in the 115th Congress, 
     Second Session, that will delineate a procedure to be 
     followed to establish the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area, 
     including a time line; and
       Whereas, nothing in the act establishing the Caddo Lake 
     National Heritage Area allows for abridging the rights of any 
     property owner including the right to refrain from 
     participating in any plan, project, program, or activity 
     conducted within the national heritage area; requiring any 
     property owner to permit public access to such property or to 
     modify any provisions of law with regard to public access or 
     use of private lands; altering any duly adopted land use 
     regulation or any approved land use plan; authorizing

[[Page S4948]]

     or implying the reservation or appropriation of water or 
     water rights; diminishing the authority of the state to 
     manage fish and wildlife including the regulation of fishing 
     and hunting within a national heritage area; or creating any 
     liability, or having any effect on any liability under any 
     other law, of any private property owner with respect to any 
     person injured on such private property; and
       Whereas, the residents and agencies of the Caddo Lake area 
     were so eager to have Caddo Lake designated a National 
     Heritage Area that they embarked on the suitability and 
     feasibility study prior to ever contacting the National Park 
     Service to request their assistance or funding; and
       Whereas, the feasibility study examined whether Caddo Lake 
     is nationally distinctive and evaluated alternatives for 
     management, preservation, and interpretation of nationally 
     important cultural and historic landscapes, sites, and 
     structures in and around the Caddo Lake area, including its 
     tributaries of Cypress Bayou and James Bayou in Texas and 
     Louisiana and Black Bayou and Red Bayou along with Soda, 
     Shifftail, and Clear Lakes in Louisiana; and
       Whereas, establishment of the Caddo Lake National Heritage 
     Area would be of economic and cultural benefit to the 
     Shreveport and Caddo Parish area of our great state: 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 adopt and enact the legislation to be 
     proposed that would establish the Caddo Lake National 
     Heritage Area; 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 resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana memorializing the 
     United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary 
     to adopt and enact legislation to be proposed that would 
     establish the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                        House Resolution No. 219

       Whereas, the Heritage Area Program is found in the Historic 
     Sites Act, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 
     and related statutes, and is under the jurisdiction of the 
     United States Department of the Interior and the National 
     Park Service; and
       Whereas, the National Historic Preservation Act establishes 
     a national policy for federal agencies to use measures such 
     as financial and technical assistance to foster conditions 
     under which our modern society and our prehistoric and 
     historic resources can exist in productive harmony and 
     fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of 
     present and future generations; and
       Whereas, each national heritage area has been authorized by 
     a specific federal statute in an effort to effectively carry 
     out the national policy with these same statutes assigning a 
     prominent role for the National Park Service to play in 
     nurturing the areas and supporting their success; and
       Whereas, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area program will 
     expand on traditional approaches to resource stewardship by 
     supporting large-scale, community centered initiatives that 
     connect local citizens through preservation, conservation, 
     and planning processes facilitated by a local coordinating 
     entity, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area Commission, to 
     provide assistance to residents to improve their quality of 
     life by protecting their shared cultural and natural 
     resources; and
       Whereas, the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area Commission 
     will promote the conservation of natural, historic, scenic, 
     and cultural resources, while improving the area's economic 
     vitality, all guided by a management plan developed by the 
     commission and approved by the Secretary of the Interior; and
       Whereas, legislation will be filed in the 115th Congress, 
     Second Session, that will delineate a procedure to be 
     followed to establish the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area, 
     including a time line; and
       Whereas, nothing in the act establishing the Caddo Lake 
     National Heritage Area allows for abridging the rights of any 
     property owner including the right to refrain from 
     participating in any plan, project, program, or activity 
     conducted within the national heritage area; requiring any 
     property owner to permit public access to such property or to 
     modify any provisions of law with regard to public access or 
     use of private lands; altering any duly adopted land use 
     regulation or any approved land use plan; authorizing or 
     implying the reservation or appropriation of water or water 
     rights; diminishing the authority of the state to manage fish 
     and wildlife including the regulation of fishing and hunting 
     within a national heritage area; or creating any liability, 
     or having any effect on any liability under any other law, of 
     any private property owner with respect to any person injured 
     on such private property; and
       Whereas, the residents and agencies of the Caddo Lake area 
     were so eager to have Caddo Lake designated a National 
     Heritage Area that they embarked on the suitability and 
     feasibility study prior to ever contacting the National Park 
     Service to request their assistance or funding; and
       Whereas, the feasibility study examined whether Caddo Lake 
     is nationally distinctive and evaluated alternatives for 
     management, preservation, and interpretation of nationally 
     important cultural and historic landscapes, sites, and 
     structures in and around the Caddo Lake area, including its 
     tributaries of Cypress Bayou and James Bayou in Texas and 
     Louisiana and Black Bayou and Red Bayou along with Soda, 
     Shifftail, and Clear Lakes in Louisiana; and
       Whereas, establishment of the Caddo Lake National Heritage 
     Area would be of economic and cultural benefit to the 
     Shreveport and Caddo Parish area of our great state. 
     Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United 
     States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to 
     adopt and enact the legislation to be proposed that would 
     establish the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area. 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 resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Louisiana urging the United 
     States Congress to pass legislation that supports efforts to 
     build, modernize, and maintain the United States' 
     infrastructure with consideration of certain principles; to 
     the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                        House Resolution No. 110

       Whereas, a country's infrastructure is the bedrock of its 
     economy; and
       Whereas, the traditional system of roads, bridges, 
     railroads, waterways, and pipelines, commonly referred to as 
     infrastructure, affects a country's ability to produce goods, 
     deliver services and products, and connect a workforce to 
     jobs; and
       Whereas, the strength and efficiency of a nation's 
     infrastructure have a direct impact on that nation as a 
     global economic competitor and leader; and
       Whereas, on a local level, infrastructure also affects a 
     state's ability to participate and thrive in the nation's 
     economy; and
       Whereas, with an inadequate infrastructure, a state 
     struggles to move its people and goods throughout the state 
     and across state lines; and
       Whereas, Louisiana currently has a more than thirteen 
     billion dollar backlog for sorely needed road and bridge work 
     throughout the state; and
       Whereas, identifying funding and generating revenue to 
     address the state's backlog have been looming problems for 
     many years; and
       Whereas, the Louisiana section of the American Society of 
     Civil Engineers (ASCE) evaluated and studied eleven major 
     components of Louisiana's infrastructure; and
       Whereas, after its evaluations, the Louisiana section of 
     the ASCE, in its 2017 Louisiana Infrastructure Report Card, 
     determined that, ``Our infrastructure is poorly maintained, 
     inadequately funded, and not designed to meet tomorrow's 
     demands. Consequently, the state is at a disadvantage and 
     will continue to lose its economic competitiveness.''; and
       Whereas, the ASCE has given the state of Louisiana a 
     statewide average grade of ``D+'' for its infrastructure; and
       Whereas, the United States' infrastructure also suffers 
     from years of deterioration and neglect; and
       Whereas, for decades, the United States has failed to 
     develop means to finance infrastructure projects to keep pace 
     with the needs of the country; and
       Whereas, choosing to defer repairs, maintenance, and 
     upgrades to the country's infrastructure has delivered a 
     crippling blow to the nation's economy and growth; and
       Whereas, the United States also received a cumulative grade 
     of ``D+'' from the ASCE, showing a drop in grades for three 
     categories: parks, solid waste, and transit; and
       Whereas, the ongoing and consistent decline of the 
     country's infrastructure jeopardizes the United States' 
     ability to remain competitive in the global market; and
       Whereas, the United States now faces serious challenges as 
     it seeks to address pitfalls including having to prioritize 
     badly needed projects with insufficient funding; and
       Whereas, through a combination of federal and nonfederal 
     funding, President Donald Trump has set a one trillion dollar 
     infrastructure investment as his target; and
       Whereas, the president has outlined the following four key 
     principles as the basis for his proposal:
       (1) Make targeted federal investments.
       (2) Encourage self-help.
       (3) Align infrastructure investment with entities best 
     suited to provide sustained and efficient investment.
       (4) Leverage the private sector; and
       Whereas, while the United States Congress will be faced 
     with the decision to enact the president's plan or propose 
     its own, choosing to do nothing is not a viable option; and
       Whereas, since the United States Congress must act, it 
     should do so with an eye toward responsibility, innovation, 
     and sustainability; and
       Whereas, it is vitally important that congress consider new 
     and creative plans to design and implement an infrastructure 
     network that reaches every state, serves every demographic, 
     increases employment, and moves the United States of America 
     into the

[[Page S4949]]

     twenty-first century to rightfully regain its position as a 
     global economic leader; and
       Whereas, such plans must include a comprehensive approach 
     to the nontraditional and ever-changing needs of the nation's 
     people, businesses, and technology: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 
     Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United 
     States Congress to pass legislation that supports efforts to 
     build, modernize, and maintain the nation's infrastructure 
     with consideration for the following principles:
       (1) Redefining infrastructure. A twenty-first century 
     economy demands a broader, more inclusive definition to 
     ensure that the country is fully considering all of its 
     infrastructure needs. A newer definition should be expanded 
     to include the following:
       (a) Energy-efficient housing.
       (b) Broadband.
       (c) Education facilities, including access to traditional 
     universities and community colleges, as well as Historically 
     Black Colleges and Universities.
       (d) Forest roads, sidewalks, and bike trails.
       (e) Parks.
       (f) Waste removal and treatment.
       (g) Programs connecting seniors to the rest of the economy.
       (2) Committing to fund job training and workforce 
     development. Provisions must focus on enabling young workers 
     and urban residents to benefit from any infrastructure plan 
     through training, pre-apprenticeships, and related 
     approaches, including Registered Apprenticeships within the 
     telecommunications and technology sectors. It must promote 
     meaningful skills development, technical training, 
     internships, and job placement opportunities for African 
     Americans and urban community members. This must be fully 
     integrated into any proposal. Without this, the benefits will 
     not be broadly and fairly shared.
       (3) Empowering minority contractors. Minority contractors 
     should have the opportunity to rebuild their communities and 
     employ hardworking Americans along the way. Infrastructure 
     investments should be disseminated through a transparent 
     procurement process with aggressive contracting goals for 
     disadvantaged business entities and effective enforcement to 
     root out fraudulent firms. Contractors and subcontractors 
     should have the ability to employ local hiring preferences 
     and subcontractors should receive prompt payment when 
     services are rendered.
       (4) Promoting inclusiveness. Infrastructure development and 
     planning should be inclusive of underserved segments of the 
     population, such as poor, rural, and elderly communities. A 
     twenty-first century economy should not exclude any 
     individuals from participation on the basis of demographics, 
     geography, or financial means. By ensuring participation from 
     all individuals, this country can provide equal opportunity 
     for each and every American to contribute in meaningful ways 
     to the economy and the communities in which they live.
       (5) Building for resilience. Climate change and the 
     volatility that are associated with extreme weather events 
     are only expected to worsen over time. More intense storms, 
     sea level rise, storm surges, and other unusual weather 
     conditions are placing an immense strain on the nation's 
     infrastructure and the limited resources that it has to build 
     and maintain it. As the country plans for the future and 
     conceptualizes how it will build up its infrastructure, it 
     needs to consider the long-term viability of these projects 
     and their resilience to extreme weather.
       (6) Multi-modal transportation planning. A robust 
     transportation network must consider the changing 
     demographics of its users and the subsequent changes in 
     demand. Conventional transportation planning relies heavily 
     on motor vehicle traffic. However, many communities--
     particularly in urban areas--must now consider pedestrians, 
     cyclists, public transit riders, ridesharing, and other users 
     when evaluating the effectiveness of the transportation 
     ecosystem.
       (7) Future-proofing. The development and adoption of 
     autonomous vehicles, positive train control, NextGen, Smart 
     City planning, and other technologies and transportation 
     models are vastly altering the way the country 
     conceptualizes, plans, and executes transportation policy. 
     The unique challenges that the nation faces will only grow 
     increasingly more complex as the population grows and the 
     nature of its infrastructure becomes more interconnected. An 
     infrastructure package must not only address the immediate 
     needs of the country's crumbling system, but also anticipate 
     the needs of a generation to come; 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 joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Oklahoma urging the United States Congress, 
     pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution, to 
     call a convention of the states for the purpose of proposing 
     amendments to the United States Constitution related to 
     balancing the federal budget, imposing fiscal restraints on 
     the federal government, limiting the power and jurisdiction 
     of the federal government, and limiting the terms of office 
     for its officials and for members of Congress; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.

                 Enrolled House Joint Resolution No. 43

       Whereas, Article V of the Constitution of the United States 
     provides that upon receipt of applications from two-thirds of 
     the legislatures of the several states, Congress shall call a 
     convention of the states for proposing amendments; and
       Whereas, the Oklahoma Legislature adopted SJR 4 in the 2nd 
     Session of the 55th Oklahoma Legislature that applied to the 
     Congress of the United States ``for the calling of a 
     convention of the states limited to proposing an amendment to 
     the Constitution of the United States requiring that in the 
     absence of a national emergency the total of all federal 
     appropriations made by the Congress for any fiscal year may 
     not exceed the total of all estimated federal revenues for 
     that fiscal year, together with any related and appropriate 
     fiscal restraints''; and
       Whereas, it appears that two-thirds of the states, 
     including Oklahoma, soon will have applied for a convention 
     to propose such an amendment adding to the United States 
     Constitution a requirement that the federal government 
     balance its budget; and
       Whereas, it has also been proposed by several states, 
     including Oklahoma, that a convention be called for proposing 
     amendments to ``impose fiscal restraints on the federal 
     government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal 
     government, and limit the terms of office for its officials 
     and for members of Congress''; and
       Whereas, in its call Congress will be required to specify 
     an initial time and place for the meeting of the Article V 
     Convention for proposing amendments; and
       Whereas, it is appropriate for the state legislatures to 
     prepare for the Article V Convention and recommend to 
     Congress an initial time and place to hold the convention; 
     and
       Whereas, a gathering of the states called by a state 
     legislature and consisting of members authorized by other 
     state legislatures would be an effective way of considering 
     and recommending solutions to common issues related to an 
     Article V Convention, including planning for and recommending 
     rules and procedures for an Article V Convention, and 
     recommending to Congress the initial date and location of an 
     Article V Convention; and
       Whereas, a planning convention of the several states in 
     September in Phoenix, Arizona, was attended by a delegation 
     from Oklahoma as authorized by House Concurrent Resolution 
     No. 1007 of the 1st Session of the 56th Oklahoma Legislature. 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives and the Senate of 
     the 2nd Session of the 56th Oklahoma Legislature:
       That a delegation of commissioners selected as provided in 
     this resolution shall be authorized to attend and participate 
     in a gathering of states proposed by any state legislature 
     for the purposes of developing rules and procedures for an 
     Article V Convention for proposing amendments to the United 
     States Constitution to require a balanced federal budget, or 
     to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, to 
     limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government 
     and to limit the terms of office for federal officials and 
     members of Congress and for proposing an initial date and 
     location for the meeting of the several states in an Article 
     V Convention.
       That the delegation of commissioners shall be composed of 
     seven members, three of whom shall be appointed by the 
     Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, three of 
     whom shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the 
     Oklahoma State Senate, and one of whom shall be appointed by 
     agreement of both the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of 
     Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma 
     State Senate.
       That two of the commissioners appointed by the Speaker of 
     the Oklahoma House of Representatives shall be current 
     members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives at the time 
     of appointment, and two of the commissioners appointed by the 
     President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate shall be 
     current members of the Oklahoma State Senate at the time of 
     appointment. The third commissioner appointed by the Speaker 
     of the Oklahoma House of Representatives shall be a current 
     or former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and 
     the third commissioner appointed by the President Pro Tempore 
     of the Oklahoma State Senate shall be a current or former 
     member of the Oklahoma State Senate.
       That the commissioners shall be bound by the rules adopted 
     by the gathering of the states or provided for in the 
     proposal for the Article V Convention.
       That unless otherwise provided by the Oklahoma Legislature, 
     the commissioners provided for in this resolution shall also 
     serve as commissioners to the Article V Convention for 
     proposing amendments to the United States Constitution when 
     called and shall be bound by the rules adopted by the members 
     of the Article V Convention.
       That if a commissioner is unable to participate in either 
     the state gathering or an Article V Convention to propose 
     amendments to the United States Constitution either 
     permanently or temporarily, the appointing authority or 
     authorities shall select an alternate, who shall be a current 
     or former member of the appointing authority's legislative 
     body, to serve for the time the commissioner is unable to 
     serve. The alternate shall be bound by the same rules and 
     procedures as the original commissioner.

[[Page S4950]]

       That no commissioner or alternate from this state to an 
     Article V Convention shall have the authority to vote to 
     allow consideration of or vote to approve an unauthorized 
     amendment for ratification to the United States Constitution.
       That any commissioner or alternate casting a vote to allow 
     consideration or approval of an unauthorized amendment shall 
     be immediately recalled by the appointing authority or 
     authorities and be replaced by an alternate.
       That all voting in either a gathering of states or an 
     Article V Convention shall be by state with each state having 
     one vote.
       That commissioners and alternates shall take the following 
     oath of office before accepting their appointment:
       ``I do solemnly swear or affirm that to the best of my 
     abilities I will, as a commissioner (alternate commissioner) 
     to a convention for proposing any amendment to the United 
     States Constitution, uphold the Constitution and laws of the 
     United States and the State of Oklahoma.
       I will abide by my specific instructions from the 
     Legislature of the State of Oklahoma. I will not vote to 
     allow consideration of or to approve any amendment proposed 
     for ratification to the United States Constitution that is 
     unrelated to the subject of the approved call of the 
     convention by Congress.
       I will vote only for convention rules that provide that 
     each state have one equal vote and that a state or 
     commissioner shall not be allowed to propose an amendment 
     that is unrelated to the approved call of the convention. I 
     acknowledge that any violation of this oath may result in 
     being recalled by the Legislature of the State of Oklahoma or 
     its authorized committee.''
       That an Article V Convention Committee shall be composed of 
     three members, one appointed by the Speaker of the Oklahoma 
     House of Representatives, one appointed by the President Pro 
     Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate and one appointed 
     jointly by the Speaker and President Pro Tempore. A member of 
     the Article V Convention Committee may not be a member of the 
     delegation. The duties of the Article V Convention Committee 
     and their appointing authority or authorities include:
       1. Monitoring the delegation to determine if it is 
     following legislative instructions and obeying convention 
     rules;
       2. Advising the delegation on the Legislature's position on 
     issues before the convention;
       3. Disciplining any commissioner who violates the oath of 
     office or instructions or is otherwise guilty of malfeasance 
     or nonfeasance. Discipline may include recall from the 
     convention, removal as a commissioner or demotion to the 
     office of alternate commissioner;
       4. Notifying the convention that a commissioner has been 
     recalled, removed as a commissioner or demoted to the office 
     of alternate commissioner; and
       5. Replacing any recalled commissioner.
       That commissioners shall vote only for Article V Convention 
     rules consistent with the following principles:
       1. The convention is convened under the authority reserved 
     to the state legislatures of the several states by Article V 
     of the Constitution of the United States;
       2. The only participants at this convention are the several 
     states represented by their respective delegations duly 
     selected in the manner that their respective legislatures 
     have determined;
       3. The scope of the convention's authority is defined by 
     applications adopted by at least two-thirds of the 
     legislatures of the several states, which authority is 
     limited to the subject of the approved call of the 
     convention. The convention has no authority to propose or 
     discuss an amendment on any other subject outside the 
     approved call of the convention by Congress;
       4. The convention shall provide for disciplining a 
     commissioner or delegation for exceeding the scope of the 
     convention's authority by raising subjects for discussion or 
     debate that lie outside the convention's authority;
       5. The convention shall not infringe on the respective 
     state legislatures' authority to instruct, discipline, recall 
     and replace commissioners; and
       6. All voting at the convention or in a committee shall be 
     by state with each state having one vote without 
     apportionment or division. Each state legislature shall 
     determine the internal voting and quorum rules for casting 
     the vote of its delegation.
       That the provisions of this resolution shall expire on 
     December 31, 2023.
       That the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, 
     immediately after the passage of this resolution, shall 
     prepare and file one copy thereof with the Secretary of State 
     and one copy with the Attorney General and transmit copies to 
     the President and Secretary of the United States Senate and 
     to the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of 
     Representatives, to the members of the Oklahoma Congressional 
     Delegation, and to the presiding officers of each of the 
     legislative houses in the several states, requesting their 
     cooperation.
                                  ____

       POM-263. A resolution adopted by the City Council of the 
     City of Cotati, California urging the United States Congress 
     to enact, without delay, a revenue-neutral fee on carbon-
     based fossil fuels with several stipulations; to the 
     Committee on Finance.
       POM-264. A resolution adopted by the Council of the County 
     of Maui, Hawaii urging the United States Congress to support 
     the gun control policies promoted by March for Our Lives; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-265. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to asylum; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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