[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6306-6308]
[From the U.S. 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-17. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Florida relative to urging the Senate to fulfill the 
     requests of the 2005 BRAC Commission by restoring federal 
     funds for military construction; to the Committee on Armed 
     Services.

                       House Resolution No. 6008

       Whereas, Kansas communities, state officials and the 
     members of the Kansas Congressional Delegation worked hard 
     and the results of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure 
     (BRAC) Commission recommendations were the best news for 
     Kansas in years; and

[[Page 6307]]

       Whereas, these recommendations are resulting in significant 
     increases in personnel and the missions assigned to Fort 
     Riley, Fort Leavenworth, Forbes Air Force Base and McConnell 
     Air Force Base in Kansas; and
       Whereas, the military commands, the troops and their 
     families coming to work on those missions are facing a 
     situation with much of the funding support originally 
     contained in the Federal Continuing Resolution, and many of 
     the key projects in Kansas, now at risk; and
       Whereas, the Federal Continuing Resolution adopted by the 
     United States House of Representatives currently provides 
     less than half of the request for the 2005 BRAC Commission 
     and is more than $3 Billion short of the amount agreed upon 
     in the FY 2007 Defense Authorization Bill; and
       Whereas, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius' Military 
     Council voted on February 7, 2007, to support efforts to 
     restore vital federal military construction funding for Fort 
     Riley, Fort Leavenworth, Forbes Air Force Base and McConnell 
     Air Force Base at this time when these military posts are 
     getting new missions; and
       Whereas, projects that are potentially at risk at Fort 
     Riley include a Combat Aviation Brigade complex, which would 
     provide additional housing for troops, headquarters and 
     operations buildings and facilities, hanger expansion and a 
     crash rescue fire station ($152 Million); essential Runway 
     Improvements ($17 Million); Division Headquarters and 
     Sustainment Brigade Headquarters buildings and facilities 
     ($87 Million); a state-of-the-art Battle Command Training 
     Center ($27 Million); and a Health and Dental Clinic ($17.5 
     Million) and a Child Development Center ($5.7 Million) to 
     serve the thousands of troops and their families moving to 
     Fort Riley; and
       Whereas, the project for the Joint Regional Corrections 
     Facility ($68-$95 Million) at Fort Leavenworth is also at 
     risk; and
       Whereas, the House of Representatives of the State of 
     Kansas considers the federal funding requested for Fort 
     Riley, Fort Leavenworth, Forbes Air Force Base and McConnell 
     Air Force Base, based on the recommendations of the 2005 BRAC 
     Commission, to be crucially important to the United States of 
     America, as well as to the State of Kansas: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of 
     Kansas: That the House of Representatives of the Legislature 
     of the State of Kansas strongly urges the United States 
     Senate to fulfill the requests of the 2005 BRAC Commission 
     and the United States Military by restoring federal funds for 
     military construction in the Federal Continuing Resolution to 
     the funding levels agreed upon in the FY 2007 Defense 
     Authorization Bill: and be it further
       Resolved: That the Secretary of State is directed to send 
     enrolled copies of this resolution to the President of the 
     United States, the President of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to 
     each member of the Kansas Congressional Delegation.
       POM-18. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Florida relative to urging Congress to support a 
     National Catastrophe Insurance Program; to the Committee on 
     Finance.

                             House Memorial

        Whereas, during the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, the 
     State of Florida was devastated by eight hurricanes and four 
     tropical storms, causing approximately $36 billion in 
     estimated gross probable insurance losses, and
       Whereas, the hurricanes from the 2004 and 2005 hurricane 
     seasons have produced high winds, coastal storm surges, 
     torrential rainfalls, and flooding resulting in significant 
     damage to Florida and the Gulf Coast states, which has 
     resulted in displacement of policyholders from their 
     dwellings, loss of personal belongings and contents, closing 
     of businesses and financial institutions, and temporary loss 
     of employment and has created numerous health and safety 
     issues within our local communities, and
       Whereas, the losses caused by the 2004 and 2005 hurricane 
     seasons have led to dramatic and economically painful 
     increases in property insurance premiums for Florida's 
     citizens and businesses, forcing many to consider relocating 
     outside the state, and
       Whereas, in 1992, Hurricane Andrew resulted in 
     approximately $20.8 billion in insured losses and was 
     previously the costliest catastrophe in the United States, 
     but Hurricane Katrina alone left the Gulf Coast states with 
     an estimated loss of approximately $35 billion, and
       Whereas, natural disasters continually threaten communities 
     across the United States with extreme weather conditions that 
     pose an immediate danger to the lives, property, and security 
     of the residents of those communities, and
       Whereas, the insurance industry, state officials, and 
     consumer groups have been striving to develop solutions to 
     insure mega-catastrophic risks, because hurricanes, 
     earthquakes, tornadoes, typhoons, floods, wildfires, ice 
     storms, and other natural catastrophes continue to affect 
     policyholders across the United States, and
       Whereas, on November 16 and 17, 2005, insurance 
     commissioners from Florida, California, Illinois, and New 
     York convened a summit to devise a national catastrophe 
     insurance plan which would more effectively spread Insurance 
     risks and help mitigate the tremendous financial damage 
     survivors contend with following such catastrophes: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
       (1) That the Legislature urges the Congress of the United 
     States to support a National Catastrophe Insurance Program. 
     Policyholders require a rational insurance mechanism for 
     responding to the economic losses resulting from catastrophic 
     events. The risk of catastrophes must be addressed through a 
     public-private partnership involving individuals, private 
     industry, local and state governments, and the Federal 
     Government. A national catastrophe insurance program is 
     necessary to promote personal responsibility among 
     policyholders; support strong building codes, development 
     plans, and other mitigation tools; maximize the risk-bearing 
     capacity of the private markets; and provide quantifiable 
     risk management through the Federal Government. The program 
     should encompass:
       (a) Providing consumers with a private market residential 
     insurance program that provides all-perils protection.
       (b) Promoting personal responsibility through mitigation; 
     promoting the retrofitting of existing housing stock; 
     providing individuals with the ability to manage their own 
     disaster savings accounts that, similar to health savings 
     accounts, accumulate on a tax-advantaged basis for the 
     purpose of paying for mitigation enhancements and 
     catastrophic losses; and providing personal income tax 
     deductions for mitigation expenses.
       (c) Creating tax-deferred insurance company catastrophe 
     reserves to benefit policyholders. These tax-deferred 
     reserves would build up over time and only be eligible to be 
     used to pay for future catastrophic losses.
       (d) Enhancing local and state government's role in 
     establishing and maintaining effective building codes, 
     mitigation education, and land use management; promoting 
     state emergency management, preparedness, and response; and 
     creating state or multistate regional catastrophic risk 
     financing mechanisms such as the Florida Hurricane 
     Catastrophe Fund.
       (e) Creating a national catastrophe financing mechanism 
     that would provide a quantifiable level of risk management 
     and financing for mega-catastrophes; maximizing the risk-
     bearing capacity of the private markets; and allowing for 
     aggregate risk pooling of natural disasters funded through 
     sound risk-based premiums paid in correct proportion by all 
     policyholders in the United States.
       (2) That the Legislature urges the Congress to participate 
     in a federal/state issues summit in this state to discuss and 
     develop policy positions on current and emerging issues of 
     state importance that are likely to be considered by Congress 
     to build better working relationships in order to mutually 
     accomplish goals of benefit to Floridians.
       (3) That the Legislature urges Congress to provide federal 
     tax exemptions for:
       (a) Catastrophe premium equalization deductions charged and 
     held by the state in a segregated account for the benefit of 
     insurers for use in the event of a catastrophe.
       (b) The Florida Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting 
     Association.
       (4) That the Legislature urges Congress to provide a 
     federal income tax deduction for residential property 
     insurance premiums paid by consumers to offset the dramatic 
     cost of property insurance.
       (5) That the Legislature urges Congress to support the 
     National Hurricane Research Initiative, which is intended to 
     foster a better understanding of hurricane prediction, 
     intensity, and mitigation on coastal populations, 
     infrastructure, and the natural environment.
       Be it further resolved, That copies of this memorial be 
     dispatched to the President of the United States, to the 
     President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and to each member of 
     the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.
                                  ____

       POM-19. A resolution adopted by the Miami-Dade County Board 
     of County Commissioners relative to urging the Legislature of 
     the State of Florida, the Florida Office of Insurance 
     Regulation, and the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation 
     to develop and implement rating systems for homeowners 
     insurance; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
     Affairs.
       POM-20. A resolution adopted by the Miami-Dade County Board 
     of County Commissioners relative to urging the Legislature of 
     the State of Florida to prohibit the use of cellular 
     telephones while driving in a school zone at times when 
     reduced speeds are in effect; to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation.
       POM-21. A resolution adopted by the Miami-Dade County Board 
     of County Commissioners relative to urging the Legislature of 
     the State of Florida to pass legislation providing a sales 
     tax rebate or similar benefit related to the construction of 
     a public-owned stadium for a Major League Baseball franchise; 
     to the Committee on Finance.
       POM-22. A resolution adopted by the Miami-Dade County Board 
     of County Commissioners relative to urging the Legislature

[[Page 6308]]

     of the State of Florida to acknowledge the crisis that now 
     exists related to Florida jails and mentally ill inmates; to 
     the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
       POM-23. A resolution adopted by the Miami-Dade County Board 
     of County Commissioners relative to urging Congress and the 
     Legislature of the State of Florida to add crimes against the 
     homeless to existing hate crimes statutes; to the Committee 
     on the Judiciary.
       POM-24. A resolution adopted by the Miami-Dade County Board 
     of County Commissioners relative to urging Congress to 
     reinstate the Federal Assault Weapons Ban; to the Committee 
     on the Judiciary.

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