3518

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

No. 2

(Senate Joint Resolution No. 37)

A Senate Joint Resolution concerning

Establishment of a Commission on the Family

FOR the purpose of requesting the Governor to establish a
Commission on the family to study how the State government
affects the family and to recommend how the State can better
support and strengthen the family.

WHEREAS, The family is the foundation of society and the
health and strength of a society may be measured by the health
and strength of its families; and

WHEREAS, Families have been a source of societal strength in
the past and represent society's hope for the future, and as such
must be carefully nurtured; and

WHEREAS, The stability of the family is under unprecedented
pressure that is reflected in the number of marriages ending in
divorce; increasing numbers of teenage pregnancies; rising rates
of teenage suicide, and child and spouse abuse; and other serious
conditions that tear at the fabric of the family and society; and

WHEREAS, Fundamental societal changes have altered the
definition of the traditional nuclear family necessitating an
examination of emerging family structures including single parent
families, second marriage families as well as adoptive and foster
families; and

WHEREAS, A paramount concern of the State is the happiness,
security, and general welfare of its children in day care
facilities, schools, and the home, requiring that every effort be
made to protect children from physical, sexual, and emotional
abuse; and

WHEREAS, A shift in the traditional role of woman as
homemaker has placed new emphasis on the care of children by
professional care givers and teachers, and government must assure
the adequacy of the training and certification process of day
care workers, teachers, and other professionals; and

WHEREAS, Technological advances and improvements in health
care have extended life spans, increasing the elderly population
and decreasing infant mortality with attendant ramifications for
the extended family; and

WHEREAS, Governmental policies and actions affect family
life in a profound manner and governments should examine whether
this impact advances or threatens family life and values; now,
therefore, be it