[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S72-S73]
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-92. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California applying to the United States 
     Congress to call a constitutional convention under Article V 
     of the Constitution of the United States for the purpose of 
     proposing a constitutional amendment relating to firearms; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 7

       Whereas, Approximately 49,000 Americans died in 2021 as a 
     result of gun violence, and firearms are the leading cause of 
     death for children under 18 years of age in the United States 
     and the most common method of both homicide and suicide, and
       Whereas, it is estimated that there are approximately 
     393,000,000 firearms in civilian hands in the United States 
     as of 2023, meaning that firearms now outnumber people in our 
     country; and
       Whereas, Gun safety laws are proven to lessen the scourge 
     of gun violence, as evidenced by the fact that since some of 
     California's most significant gun safety laws took effect in 
     the early 1990s, California has cut its rate of gun death in 
     half, and the state's gun death rate is 39 percent lower than 
     the national average as of 2023; and
       Whereas, Precedents of the Supreme Court of the United 
     States, including its decision in New York State Rifle & 
     Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen (2022) 142 S.Ct. 2111, have 
     limited the ability of the states to enact and enforce 
     reasonable restrictions on the public carry of firearms, and 
     prompted challenges to many other common sense regulations, 
     such as those allowing law enforcement officials to assess 
     the potential dangerousness of individuals seeking to obtain 
     firearms and prohibit possession of firearms by those deemed 
     dangerous, and those restricting possession of certain 
     particularly dangerous weapons, including weapons of war; and
       Whereas, Modern technology and capabilities, including 
     semiautomatic firing mechanisms, capacity, range, accuracy, 
     and use of specialized ammunition, of the firearms 
     commercially available today make them far more lethal than 
     anything the founders could have imagined in the 18th 
     century, when most weapons needed to be reloaded after every 
     shot; and
       Whereas, Common sense public safety regulations limiting 
     aspects of firearms acquisition, possession, public carry, 
     and use by individuals, including, but not limited to, the 
     types of firearms and ammunition that private individuals may 
     possess, categories of private individuals who may not 
     acquire or possess firearms, and locations where private 
     individuals may carry firearms, as well as procedures to 
     ensure that individuals possessing or seeking to acquire or 
     publicly carry firearms will not pose a threat to the safety 
     of themselves or others or use a firearm in furtherance of 
     otherwise unlawful conduct, are proven to save lives; and
       Whereas, Since state leaders first announced their 
     intention to introduce this joint resolution in June 2023, 
     the Supreme Court of the United States has granted review in 
     United States v. Rahimi, yet another case in which a court 
     struck down a commonsense gun safety regulation, and the 
     scourge of gun violence has continued unabated, with recent 
     mass shootings bringing tragedy to communities across the 
     country, further underscoring the need for urgent action; and
       Whereas, Amending the United States Constitution as 
     described herein will ensure that federal, state, and local 
     government can effectively pursue common sense solutions to 
     this deadly nationwide problem, consistent with the 
     understanding that throughout American history private, 
     individuals have possessed firearms for home defense, 
     hunting, and recreational purposes; and
       Whereas, Article V of the Constitution of the United States 
     requires the United States Congress to call a constitutional 
     convention upon application of two-thirds of the legislatures 
     of the several states for the purpose of proposing amendments 
     to the United States Constitution; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California, speaking on behalf of the people of the State of 
     California, hereby applies to the United States Congress to 
     call a constitutional convention

[[Page S73]]

     under Article V of the Constitution of the United States for 
     the purpose of proposing a constitutional amendment that 
     would do either, or both, of the following:
       (a) Affirm that federal, state, and local governments may 
     adopt public safety regulations limiting aspects of firearms 
     acquisition, possession, public carry, and use by 
     individuals, and that such regulations are consistent with 
     the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and 
     the understanding that throughout American history private 
     individuals have possessed firearms for home defense, 
     hunting, and recreational purposes;
       (b) Impose, as a matter of national policy, the following 
     firearms regulations and prohibitions: (1) universal 
     background checks as a prerequisite to purchase or 
     acquisition of a firearm, (2) a prohibition on sales, loans, 
     or other transfers of firearms to those under 21 years of 
     age, subject to limited exceptions, (3) a minimum waiting 
     period after the purchase or acquisition of a firearm before 
     that firearm may be delivered to the buyer or acquirer, and 
     (4) a prohibition on the sale, loan, or transfer of assault 
     weapons and other weapons of war to private civilians; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That this application is for a limited 
     constitutional convention and does not grant Congress the 
     authority to call a constitutional convention for any purpose 
     other than those set forth herein and that this application 
     shall be void if ever used at any stage to consider any 
     constitutional amendments on subjects other than those 
     specified herein; and be it further
       Resolved, That this application shall be considered as 
     covering the same subject matter as applications from other 
     states to the United States Congress to call a convention to 
     propose a constitutional amendment for each respective 
     purpose set forth herein and that this application--shall be 
     aggregated with such applications for the purpose of 
     attaining the two-thirds of states necessary to require 
     Congress to call a limited convention on each respective 
     subject, but shall not be aggregated with any other 
     applications on any other subject; and be it further
       Resolved, That the State of California intends that this 
     application shall constitute a continuing application, 
     considered together with any applications on the respective 
     subject that other states have adopted or may in the future 
     adopt, until such time as two-thirds of the several states 
     have applied for a convention and said convention is convened 
     by Congress; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
     the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the 
     Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority 
     Leader of the United States Senate, and to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States.
                                  ____

       POM-93. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Michigan urging the United States Congress, 
     Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs to 
     prioritize research and investment in non-technology 
     treatment options for servicemembers and veterans who have 
     psychological trauma as a result of military service; to the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 5

       Whereas, The men and women who voluntarily sign-up to serve 
     our nation in the United States Armed Forces, and the 
     additional uniformed services, generally do so with an 
     understanding that such service may ultimately impact their 
     physical and mental well-being. Even with this knowledge, 
     they still answer the call to serve; and
       Whereas Members of the active-duty Air Force, Coast Guard, 
     Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, and their reserve 
     components the Army and Air National Guard, may have 
     experiences that increase the risk for developing behavioral 
     health problems, including traumatic brain injury, post-
     traumatic stress disorder, and depression. Effective 
     treatment options for these conditions vary from 
     servicemember to servicemember, and
       Whereas, Upon return from a deployment, members of the 
     reserve components and the National Guard are demobilized and 
     must reintegrate back into civilian life, while 
     simultaneously losing access to the full range of services 
     offered by the military health system and having to 
     emotionally deal with the same experiences as their active-
     duty counterparts; and
       Whereas, Non-technology treatment options, such as buddy-
     to-buddy programs, controlled use of psychedelics in clinical 
     settings, outdoor therapy, and easier access to service 
     animals, among others, have shown promise to help veterans 
     improve their mental health and find a new normal while 
     dealing with the invisible wounds of war and service; and
       Whereas, The families of servicemembers must also not be 
     forgotten, and resources should be made available to help 
     them understand and assist their loved ones who may be 
     suffering from psychological trauma. Family members of 
     servicemembers or veterans with behavioral health problems 
     may experience family violence and aggression, lower 
     parenting satisfaction, and child behavior problems. 
     Resources should include services that will help family 
     members deal with the impacts of their family members' 
     service; and
       Whereas, The need to address veteran mental health is of 
     key importance in Michigan. In 2021, it was reported that 
     there were 554,281 veterans living in Michigan, making 
     Michigan rank eleventh out of fifty-three states and 
     territories in veteran population. However, between 2016 and 
     2020, it was reported that there were 882 Michigan veterans 
     who died by suicide; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (The Senate 
     Concurring). That we urge the United States Congress 
     Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs to 
     prioritize research and investment in non-technology 
     treatment options for servicemembers and veterans who have 
     psychological trauma as a result of military service; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Chair and 
     Ranking Members of the Committees on Veterans Affairs and 
     Armed Services, and the members of the Michigan congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-94. A petition from citizens of the State of 
     Massachusetts relative to urging the United States Congress 
     to act expeditiously to enact legislation relative to 
     comprehensive immigration reform and, in doing so, help 
     resolve the dual crises of a dysfunctional immigration system 
     and a rapidly-devolving domestic workforce shortage; to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.
       POM-95. A resolution adopted by the City Council of the 
     City of Elizabeth, New Jersey, opposing the use of public and 
     private property in the City of Elizabeth for the purposes of 
     the federal government detaining immigrants awaiting due 
     process; to the Committee on the Judiciary.


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

  
  On page S73, January 10, 2024, at the bottom of the second 
column, the following appears: POM-95. A resolution adopted by the 
City Council of the City of Elizabeth, New Jersey, opposing the 
use of public and private property in the City of Elizabeth for 
the purposes of the federal government detaining detaining 
immigrants awaiting due process; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: POM-95. A 
resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Elizabeth, 
New Jersey, opposing the use of public and private property in the 
City of Elizabeth for the purposes of the federal government 
detaining immigrants awaiting due process; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.


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