[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2708-2709]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 390--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING MARCH 13, 2006, 
                    AS ``NATIONAL SAFE PLACE WEEK''

  Mr. CRAIG (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cochran, Mr. 
Lautenberg, Mr. Inhofe, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Crapo, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. 
Salazar, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Bunning, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. DeWine, Mr. 
Inouye, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. 
Murkowski, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kohl, Ms. Snowe, and Mr. Frist) submitted 
the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 390

       Whereas the youths of today are vital to the preservation 
     of the United States and will be the future bearers of the 
     bright torch of democracy;
       Whereas youths need a safe haven from various negative 
     influences such as child abuse, substance abuse, and crime, 
     and they need to have resources readily available to assist 
     them when faced with circumstances that compromise their 
     safety;
       Whereas the United States needs increased numbers of 
     community volunteers acting as positive influences on the 
     youths of the Nation;
       Whereas the Safe Place program is committed to protecting 
     the youths of the United States, the country's most valuable 
     asset, by offering short term safe places at

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     neighborhood locations where trained volunteers are available 
     to counsel and advise young people seeking assistance and 
     guidance;
       Whereas the Safe Place program combines the efforts of the 
     private sector and nonprofit organizations to reach young 
     people in the early stages of crisis;
       Whereas the Safe Place program provides a direct way to 
     assist programs in meeting performance standards relative to 
     outreach and community relations, as set forth in the Runaway 
     and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.);
       Whereas the Safe Place placard displayed at businesses 
     within communities stands as a beacon of safety and refuge to 
     at-risk youths;
       Whereas more than 700 communities in 40 States make Safe 
     Place available at nearly 15,000 locations;
       Whereas more than 87,000 youths have gone to Safe Place 
     locations to get help when faced with crisis situations and 
     88,000 youths received counseling by phone as a result of 
     Safe Place information they received at school;
       Whereas, through the efforts of Safe Place coordinators 
     across the United States, each year more than 500,000 
     students learn in a classroom presentation that Safe Place is 
     a resource they can turn to if they encounter an abusive or 
     neglectful situation, and 1,000,000 Safe Place information 
     cards are distributed; and
       Whereas increased awareness of the Safe Place program will 
     encourage communities to establish Safe Places for the youths 
     of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of March 13 through March 19, 2006, 
     as ``National Safe Place Week''; and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States and 
     interested groups to promote awareness of and volunteer 
     involvement in, the Safe Place programs, and to observe the 
     week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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