[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S1218]
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-182. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States Congress to establish and fund programs that support 
     positive health practices for minority mothers; to the 
     Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                        House Resolution No. 123

       Whereas, as the country with the highest maternal death 
     rate in the developed world, the U.S. lags behind many other 
     countries. The U.S. also struggles with persistent racial 
     disparities. Black mothers in the U.S. die at three to four 
     times the rate of white mothers according to the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention. From 2011 to 2013, pregnancy-
     related deaths among black women were dramatically higher 
     than women of other races, with 43.5 deaths per 100,000 live 
     births among black women compared to 12.7 and 14.4 deaths per 
     100,000 live births among white women and women of other 
     races, respectively; and
       Whereas, Michigan ranks 27th in the nation for its maternal 
     mortality rate, and Michigan's pregnancy-related mortality 
     rates are particularly concerning for black women. Between 
     1999 and 2010, black women in Michigan experienced a 
     pregnancy-related mortality rate of 50.8 deaths per 100,000 
     live births compared to 16.6 deaths per 100,000 live births 
     for white women according to the Michigan Maternal Mortality 
     Surveillance Project; and
       Whereas, the high death rate of minority mothers is one of 
     the widest of all racial disparities in women's health. Black 
     women are 22 percent more likely to die from heart disease 
     than white women and 71 percent more likely to die from 
     cervical cancer, but they are 243 percent more likely to die 
     from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes. Black women are 
     two to three times more likely than white women to die from 
     pregnancy-related conditions, such as preeclampsia, 
     eclampsia, abruptio placentae, placenta previa, and 
     postpartum hemorrhage. These alarming statistics for black 
     maternal health cut across socio-economic status, maternal 
     age, and education levels; and
       Whereas, despite the nationwide need for improvements in 
     maternal health, more than 100 diseases and conditions 
     receive more funding from the National Institutes of Health 
     than maternal health; and
       Whereas, it is important to recognize the necessity of 
     ending maternal mortality nationally and globally and 
     intensifying initiatives to improve maternal health and 
     rights. It is vital to bring attention to the state of 
     minority and black maternal health, study and understand the 
     root causes of poor maternal health outcomes, and support 
     community-driven programs and care solutions. We acknowledge 
     the crucial importance of improving prenatal care, overall 
     maternal health care, breastfeeding rates, and nutrition. To 
     properly address maternal health disparities, it is critical 
     to amplify the voices of black mothers, women, families, and 
     stakeholders, as well as people from all racial and ethnic 
     minorities who are burdened by unjust health disparities; 
     now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the 
     Congress of the United States to establish and fund programs 
     that support positive health practices for minority mothers; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the President of the 
     United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
     of Representatives, the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, and members of the Michigan congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-183. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine urging the United States Congress to 
     provide access to banking and insurance services to legal 
     cannabis and cannabis-related businesses; to the Committee on 
     the Judiciary.

                            House Paper 1440

       Whereas, despite being illegal at the federal level, 
     cannabis is now legal in 33 states, the District of Columbia, 
     Guam and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which account for 
     68% of the population of the United States; and
       Whereas, due to the conflict between state and federal law, 
     the vast majority of financial institutions and insurers are 
     unwilling to provide services to legal cannabis businesses, 
     and those that do could be subject to severe criminal and 
     civil penalties; and
       Whereas, in addition to legal cannabis businesses being 
     denied access to banking services, businesses that serve the 
     cannabis industry, either directly or indirectly, may be 
     denied banking services simply because they are being paid 
     with money derived from cannabis sales; and
       Whereas, lacking banking services, many legal cannabis 
     businesses operate solely in cash, and cash-based systems are 
     inefficient, expensive and opaque and make illicit activity 
     more difficult for law enforcement agencies and state 
     regulators to track; and
       Whereas, lacking access to insurance, many legal cannabis 
     businesses are unable to obtain sufficient coverage for 
     business risks, leaving consumers, employees, vendors and 
     owners without adequate financial protection; and
       Whereas, a bipartisan group of 38 attorneys general has 
     identified cash associated with the cannabis industry as a 
     public safety concern; and
       Whereas, despite guidance from the United States Department 
     of the Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to 
     clarify federal Bank Secrecy Act expectations, federal 
     banking regulators lack the legal authority to provide banks 
     a safe harbor from federal law; and
       Whereas, the Congress of the United States has the sole 
     authority to solve the banking and insurance issue by 
     enacting legislation that provides protections for insurers, 
     including surety bond writers, and financial institutions 
     that offer services to legal cannabis businesses and service 
     providers for such businesses; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge and 
     request that the Congress of the United States enact federal 
     laws regarding the use and sale of cannabis that respect 
     state law and promote public safety without compromising 
     federal enforcement of money laundering laws against criminal 
     enterprises; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives and each Member of the 
     Maine Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-184. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky urging the 
     United States Congress to require car manufacturers to 
     improve safety devices on automobiles for the protection of 
     children left in cars; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
     and Transportation.

                        House Resolution No. 11

       Whereas, vehicular heatstroke is a term used by safety 
     experts to describe the death of a person, especially a 
     child, left unattended in a vehicle, where even on mild days 
     temperatures can reach greater than 100 degrees; and


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S1218, February 27, 2020, at the top of the third 
column, the following appears: POM-184. A resolution adopted by 
the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky 
urging the United States Congress to require car manufacturers to 
improve safety devices on automobiles for the protection of 
children left in cars; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation. Whereas, vehicular heatstroke is a term used by 
safety experts to describe the death of a person, especially a 
child, left unattended in a vehicle, where even on mild days 
temperatures can reach greater than 100 degrees; and
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: POM-184. A 
resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the 
Commonwealth of Kentucky urging the United States Congress to 
require car manufacturers to improve safety devices on automobiles 
for the protection of children left in cars; to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation. HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 11 
Whereas, vehicular heatstroke is a term used by safety experts to 
describe the death of a person, especially a child, left 
unattended in a vehicle, where even on mild days temperatures can 
reach greater than 100 degrees; and


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


       Whereas, in 2018, a record number of 53 children died, and 
     in the first half of 2019 at least 29 children have died, due 
     to vehicular heatstroke; and
       Whereas, more than half of vehicular heatstroke cases from 
     1998 to 2018 were because an adult accidently left a child in 
     the vehicle; and
       Whereas, a child's vehicular heatstroke death is a matter 
     of circumstance that could happen to any parent and has 
     happened to people in all walks of life; and
       Whereas, vehicular heatstroke is one of the leading causes 
     of non-crash-related fatalities among children; and
       Whereas, technology currently exists, such as seat belt 
     clasp monitors, rear door opening sensors, and seat weight 
     sensors, that could equip motor vehicles with a system to 
     detect the presence of a child in the rear seat of a vehicle 
     after the vehicle is turned off and the driver exits the 
     vehicle; and
       Whereas, if sensors detect a child is left, the system 
     would issue an audible warning; and
       Whereas, the installation of such technology would help 
     prevent heatstroke-related deaths due to children being left 
     alone in a vehicle; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the General 
     Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
       Section 1. The Kentucky House of Representatives 
     respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to 
     require automobile manufacturers to install safety features 
     that will give an audible alert when a child is left in the 
     backseat to prevent the deaths of children from being left 
     alone in a hot car. Technology used could include, but not be 
     limited to, seat belt monitors, rear door opening sensors, 
     and seat weight sensors. These sensors should give an audible 
     alert through the car's horn if the child is not removed 
     within a minimum amount of time after the driver exits the 
     vehicle.
       Section 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall 
     send a copy of this Resolution to the President and Vice 
     President of the United States of America, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader 
     of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority 
     Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of 
     the United States Senate, and each member of the Kentucky 
     Congressional Delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-185. A petition from a citizen of the State of Texas 
     relative to drug pricing negotiation for Medicare and 
     Medicaid recipients; to the Committee on Finance.

                          ____________________