[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 119 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2358-S2359]
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-30. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey respectfully urging the United States 
     Congress and the President of the United States to enact 
     legislation creating a program to subsidize the purchase of 
     diapers; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
     Pensions.

                       Assembly Resolution No. 87

       Whereas, The ability to access clean diapers is a medical 
     and economic necessity for the health and welfare of infants 
     and toddlers and their families; and
       Whereas, The majority of children in the United States use 
     disposable diapers until the age of three; and
       Whereas, A child in the United States uses approximately 
     3,800 disposable diapers per year for the first three years 
     of the child's life; and
       Whereas, Diapers on average cost a family $80 a month in 
     New Jersey, equaling an annual cost of $960 and a cumulative 
     total cost for three years of $2,880; and
       Whereas, Statistics collected by the federal Bureau of 
     Labor Statistics indicate that the vast majority of parents 
     work outside the home and these individuals need child care. 
     For example, over 70 percent of single women and over 80 
     percent of single men, who are head of households with 
     children under the age of 18, are employed and over 58 
     percent of mothers with infants under a year old participate 
     in the workforce; and
       Whereas, The majority of day care providers require that 
     children use disposable diapers; and
       Whereas, For those individuals who are moderate to low 
     income, the purchase of diapers can be a significant portion 
     of their monthly income: and
       Whereas, Over 35 percent of families who receive Temporary 
     Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) have a child under the 
     age of three years old; and
       Whereas, The maximum TANF cash benefit for a family 
     consisting of one parent and two children is $424 a month in 
     New Jersey; and
       Whereas, For families who rely on TANF, one child's need 
     for diapers will take up 18 percent of the monthly TANF cash 
     benefit; and
       Whereas, TANF is the only public assistance benefit that 
     can be used to purchase diapers; Supplemental Nutrition 
     Assistance benefits and Women, Infant and Children benefits 
     cannot be used to purchase diapers; and
       Whereas, The President of the United States announced an 
     initiative in March of 2016 which encourages companies to 
     develop low-cost disposable diapers and to assist in the 
     distribution of disposable diapers through diaper banks; and
       Whereas, [H.R. 4055, the ``Hygiene Assistance for Families 
     of Infants and Toddlers Act of 2015'' was introduced in 
     November 2015 to address the needs of infants and toddler who 
     lack sufficient diapers] In the past, federal legislation has 
     been introduced to help low-income families address the 
     diapering needs of their children, but such legislation has 
     not been enacted; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. The United States Congress and the President of the 
     United States are respectfully urged to enact legislation 
     creating a program to subsidize the cost of disposable 
     diapers for families.
       2. The President of the United States is respectfully 
     requested to continue efforts to support the development of 
     low cost disposable diapers and the development of a network 
     of organizations to provide access to disposable diapers to 
     support working parents.
       3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United 
     States, the Majority and Minority Leader of the United States 
     Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States 
     House of Representatives, and to every member of Congress 
     elected from this State.
                                  ____

       POM-31. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey respectfully urging the United States 
     Senate to pass the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims 
     Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022; to the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations.

                      Assembly Resolution No. 161

       Whereas, On July 26, 2022, the United States House of 
     Representatives passed the Frederick Douglass Trafficking 
     Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022 
     (the ``Act'') by a vote of 401-20 and on July 27, 2022, it 
     was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; 
     and
       Whereas, If enacted, the Act would provide more than $1.1 
     billion over a five-year period to reauthorize and enhance 
     certain programs established by the Victims of Trafficking 
     and Violence Protections Act of 2000 such as those that 
     provide shelters, mental health care, education, life skills, 
     and job training; and
       Whereas, This legislation also would provide $35 million 
     for housing opportunities to help victims escape living with 
     those who abuse them and to prevent trafficking of foster 
     youth; and
       Whereas, The Act would reauthorize the federal Department 
     of Homeland Security's Angel Watch Center, codified by the 
     International Megan's Law, to prevent international sex 
     tourism travel by convicted child sex offenders; and
       Whereas, Further, this legislation would enhance 
     trafficking prevention education for children by involving 
     parents and law enforcement in age-appropriate programs to 
     assist in the prevention of child trafficking as well as 
     online grooming; and
       Whereas, The Act, if passed, will strengthen laws to 
     convict human traffickers domestically and internationally, 
     protect victims

[[Page S2359]]

     and witnesses during investigations, provide restitution for 
     survivors, prevent unfair sentencing of youthful offenders 
     who were victims of trafficking, and provide stricter 
     sanctions for countries on Tier 3 of the Trafficking in 
     Persons Report because they do not comply with minimum 
     standards to prevent human trafficking; and
       Whereas, The legislation also increases accountability for 
     the United States, as well as foreign governments, hotels, 
     and airlines through anti-trafficking training and codes of 
     conduct for their staff; transparency in anti-trafficking 
     expenditures; and permanent incorporation or the United 
     States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking as part of the 
     United States' commitment to survivor informed policy; and
       Whereas, The State of New Jersey recognizes that a major 
     reason trafficking survivors cannot escape the cycle of human 
     trafficking is because they do not have shelter to which they 
     can escape; and
       Whereas, It is the duty of our State and country to protect 
     these vulnerable populations and to ensure housing access; 
     and
       Whereas, The welfare of an increasing number of children is 
     effected by the human trafficking issues this legislation is 
     intended to eliminate; and
       Whereas, It is imperative that Congress acts to ensure that 
     these vulnerable populations are protected from a devastating 
     cycle of violence and abuse resulting from human trafficking; 
     now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. The United States Senate is respectfully urged to pass 
     the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and 
     Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022.
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly, to the President and Vice President of the United 
     States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United 
     States Senate, and to every member of New Jersey's 
     congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-32. A resolution adopted by the Council of the District 
     of Columbia declaring the sense of the Council that the 
     United States should end the economic blockade of Cuba and 
     remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list due to 
     the unjust harm it causes the Cuban people; to the Committee 
     on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

                          ____________________