07 LC 38
0255
House
Resolution 157
By:
Representatives Bruce of the
64th,
Willard of the
49th,
Keown of the
173rd,
Williams of the
89th,
Stephenson of the
92nd,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Joint Study Committee on the Continuing Education of Special Needs
Individuals; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
individuals with special needs now make up the largest population in the country
– one in five Americans are now affected with some disability and almost
one-third of all families are impacted by a disability; and
WHEREAS,
every year in Georgia there are more than 100,000 mothers who give birth to
children with special needs; and
WHEREAS,
qualified, personalized, and ongoing education and therapeutic programs for
individuals with special needs are almost nonexistent in Georgia, particularly
for young adults between the ages of 21 and 25, who immediately upon leaving
high school have very few options for continuing their education;
and
WHEREAS,
current day programs in Georgia do not provide adequate educational stimulation
and interaction with correlating age groups, hampering their social growth, but
such stimulation is essential for an individual with special needs to become
more self-sufficient; and
WHEREAS,
it has become necessary for the State of Georgia to explore alternatives to
create a policy that will aid the development of Georgia´s individuals with
special needs.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that there is
created the Joint Study Committee on the Continuing Education of Special Needs
Individuals to be composed of five members of the House of Representatives to be
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and five members of the
Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The Speaker of the House
of Representatives and the President of the Senate shall each designate a member
of the committee who shall serve as cochairperson of the committee. The
committee shall meet at the call of the cochairpersons.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of what
alternatives are open to the General Assembly to increase the options that
individuals with special needs have open to them to continue their education and
become contributing members of their communities. The committee shall meet a
minimum of four times at locations throughout the State of Georgia to be
determined by the cochairpersons. The members of the committee shall receive
the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be
received by any member of the committee for more than four days unless
additional days are authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions
of this resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the Senate and the
House of Representatives. In the event the committee makes a report of its
findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any,
such report shall be made on or before the convening of the 2008 session of the
General Assembly, at which time the committee shall stand abolished.