[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12608-12609]
[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-317. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States Department of Veterans Affairs to follow Federal 
     Housing Administration guidelines as they apply to site 
     condominiums and view them as single-family homes as long as 
     they meet certain criteria; to the Committee on Banking, 
     Housing, and Urban Affairs.

                        House Resolution No. 371

       Whereas, Financing condominium ownership using government-
     backed loans is challenging. Traditional condominium units 
     can be riskier for lenders because of the rights

[[Page 12609]]

     afforded to condominium associations, how associations are 
     structured, and deed restrictions. This has made loans backed 
     by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Department of 
     Veterans Affairs (VA) difficult to obtain unless the 
     condominium development meets occupancy requirements and is 
     approved by the agency; and
       Whereas, Site condominiums are single-family condominium 
     developments that have the benefit of reducing some lending 
     risks. Here, condominium units are stand-alone structures 
     similar to single-family dwellings where owners are 
     responsible for the upkeep of the entire structure rather 
     than the interior alone and the association is responsible 
     for maintaining the grounds; and
       Whereas, In 2009, the FHA began allowing site condominium 
     buyers in certain non-approved condominium developments to 
     receive FHA financing so long as the development met certain 
     criteria. This included requiring each unit to be a detached 
     single-family unit where the entire structure is considered 
     the condominium unit. The unit owner is also responsible for 
     all insurance and maintenance costs of the structure; and
       Whereas, The VA has not yet adopted a similar policy. The 
     FHA's site condominium policy has been beneficial to low- and 
     medium-income home buyers and would be beneficial to veterans 
     as well. Allowing VA-backed loans to finance site 
     condominiums ownership without needing condominium 
     developments to be approved by the agency will help connect 
     elderly and disabled veterans unable to perform day-to-day 
     property maintenance with affordable housing in desirable 
     neighborhoods: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the 
     U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to follow Federal Housing 
     Administration guidelines as they apply to site condominiums 
     and view them as single-family homes as long as they meet 
     certain criteria; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs, and the members of the Michigan 
     congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-318. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan condemning certain 
     individuals for their violent attacks on civilian targets in 
     Nigeria, and supporting efforts by the President of the 
     United States and the United States Congress to assist the 
     Nigerian government in the safe return of the abducted women 
     and girls in Nigeria, to prevent further attacks, and to 
     promote the human rights of women and girls in Nigeria; to 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                        House Resolution No. 396

       Whereas, Boko Haram is an acknowledged militant, terrorist 
     organization. Since 2011, it has claimed responsibility for a 
     series of bombings, killing nearly 4,000 innocent people in 
     Nigeria It has targeted schools, mosques, churches, villages, 
     agricultural centers, and government facilities in its 
     escalating armed campaign to create an Islamic state in 
     northern Nigeria: and
       Whereas, On April 14, Boko Haram abducted at gunpoint 276 
     teenage girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in 
     the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While as least 53 girls 
     immediately escaped, the remaining girls remain missing. Boko 
     Haram has a history of kidnapping girls in the past for use 
     as cooks and sex slaves, and there are reports that the 
     abducted girls have been sold as brides to Islamist militants 
     for the equivalent of $12 each: and
       Whereas, In support of the Nigerian government, the United 
     States dispatched drones over Nigeria to search for the 
     abducted girls and deployed 80 soldiers to guard the drone 
     base in nearby Chad. Other nations have also pledged support 
     to help safely bring back the abducted girls. Despite these 
     cooperative efforts, the abducted girls remain missing, and 
     on June 9, Boko Haram abducted at least 20 additional women 
     and girls from a village just miles from the earlier 
     incident: and
       Whereas, Boko Haram's increasingly bold attacks must be 
     countered by a strong initiative to recover the abducted 
     women and girls and prevent future attacks. This extremist 
     group represents a growing threat to peace and stability in 
     this region and to the United States' interests in this 
     region. There are legitimate fears that Boko Haram may be 
     emboldened to carry out attacks against Western targets, such 
     as the U.S. Embassy and hotels frequented by Westerners: Now, 
     therefore be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we condemn 
     Boko Haram for its violent attacks on civilian targets in 
     Nigeria and call for the immediate, safe return of the women 
     and girls abducted by them: and be it further
       Resolved, That we express strong support for the people of 
     Nigeria, especially the parents and families of the abducted 
     women and girls, and encourage the Nigerian government to 
     strengthen efforts that protect children seeking to obtain an 
     education and to hold those who conduct violent acts against 
     them accountable; and be it further
       Resolved, That we support offers of United States 
     assistance to the Nigerian government in the search for the 
     abducted women and girls and courage the U.S. Department of 
     State and the United States Agency for International 
     Development to continue support for initiatives that promote 
     the human rights of women and girls in Nigeria; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That we support our nation's efforts to hold 
     terrorist organizations, such as Boko Haram, accountable and 
     urge the President of the United States to provide a 
     comprehensive strategy to counter the growing threat posed by 
     radical Islamist terrorist groups in West Africa, the Sahel, 
     and North Africa; 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, and the members of the Michigan 
     congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-319. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan memorializing the 
     United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary 
     to pass the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 
     2013; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
     Pensions.

                        House Resolution No. 388

       Whereas, According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, mental illness is defined as ``health conditions 
     that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or 
     behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with 
     distress and/or impaired function.'' The National Institute 
     of Mental Health states, ``While mental disorders are common 
     in the United States, the burden of illness is particularly 
     concentrated among those who experience disability due to 
     serious mental illness (SMI)''; and
       Whereas, In a given year, approximately ten million 
     Americans experience serious mental illness, such as 
     schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder. 
     Furthermore, approximately four million Americans 
     experiencing serious mental illness do not receive treatment 
     in a given year. Laws, regulations, and misinterpretations 
     frequently shut out families attempting to get effective 
     appropriate treatment for their loved ones in a mental health 
     crisis; and
       Whereas, There are ten times more individuals with serious 
     mental illness in jails and prisons than in state psychiatric 
     hospitals. Federal laws and billing policies restrict the 
     ability of persons on Medicaid to receive high-quality 
     inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment; and
       Whereas, Current spending needs to be more focused on the 
     most effective services and most severe mental illnesses. 
     United States Congressman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania has 
     introduced the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act 
     of 2013 (H.R. 3717). The act would create a new Assistant 
     Secretary for Mental Health and Substance-Abuse Disorders to 
     coordinate funding between agencies, collect increased data 
     on treatment outcomes, and drive evidence-based care. To 
     address issues regarding the shortage of psychiatric 
     professionals, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis 
     Act of 2013 would advance alternatives to inpatient care and 
     prioritize early intervention: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we 
     memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions 
     as are necessary to pass the Helping Families in Mental 
     Crisis Act of 2013; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and the members of 
     the Michigan congressional delegation.

                          ____________________