HBA-ATS S.C.R. 79 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.C.R. 79
By: Ratliff
Juvenile Justice and Family Issues
5/25/1999
Engrossed


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 
  
In the past 18 months, deadly shootings in public schools throughout the
United States have occurred in Jonesboro, Arkansas, West Paducah, Kentucky,
and Springfield, Oregon, and, most recently, in Littleton, Colorado.
Although these shootings represent rare manifestations of violence, they
point to an atmosphere of potential violence that exists in communities and
schools.  Failure to confront the issue of school violence and to examine
its causes may lead to similar incidents in Texas schools. In fact,
students in Texas schools have recently been found with plans to commit
various acts of violence against students and teachers. 

Incidents of youth violence in school are occurring with alarming
frequency.  Violent youth are characterized by conditions such as
disconnectedness from family and schoolmates, low self-esteem, depression,
and uncontrollable anger and rage.  Whether due to negative cultural
influences exhibited through violent television programming, music, video
games, and gangs and to the widespread accessibility to guns, violence has
become an intimate and regular component of the lives of these troubled
children.  National attention has focused on strategies to reduce easy
access to guns, control negative cultural influences, establish tighter
school security, improve parenting skills, develop early intervention
methods, and deliver mental health services. 

These strategies are designed to alleviate the conditions that characterize
troubled youth, diminish violent cultural influences, and restrict access
to weapons.  However, a need to understand the root causes of violent
behaviors and tendencies remains, as does a need to develop effective
prevention strategies that will reduce youth violence. 

S.C.R. 79 directs the Texas Department of Health, in collaboration with the
Texas Education Agency, the Texas Department of Human Services, the Texas
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the Texas Commission on
Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, the Criminal Justice
Policy Council, and the attorney general, within their existing resources,
to lead an inquiry into youth violence in this state, including the
incidence and root causes of such violence and ways by which such violence
can be prevented.   The inquiry should include, at a minimum, participation
of parents, children, classroom teachers, and school counselors.  The
agencies leading the inquiry are to submit a full report of their findings
and recommendations to the 77th Legislature when it convenes in January,
2001. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this resolution
does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

S.C.R. 79 directs the Texas Department of Health, in collaboration with the
Texas Education Agency, the Texas Department of Human Services, the Texas
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, the Texas Commission on
Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, the Criminal Justice
Policy Council, and the attorney general, within their existing resources,
to lead an inquiry into youth violence in this state, including the
incidence and root causes of such violence and ways by which such violence
can be prevented. 

 Provides that this inquiry should include, at a minimum, participation of
parents, children, classroom teachers, and school counselors. 

Provides that the agencies submit a full report of their findings and
recommendations to the 77th Legislature when it convenes in January, 2001. 

Provides that the secretary of state forward an official copy of this
resolution to the commissioner of health, the commissioner of education,
the commissioner of the Texas Department of Human Services, the
commissioner of mental health and mental retardation, the executive
director of the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the director of
the Department of Public Safety, the executive director of the Department
of Protective and Regulatory Services, the executive director of the
Criminal Justice Policy Council, and the attorney general.