A concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should strive to prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teenagers to view adolescence as a time for education and maturing and by educating teenagers about the negative consequences of early sexual activity; and for other purposes.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should strive to prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teens to view adolescence as a time for education and maturing and by educating teens about the negative consequences of early sexual activity. Calls on the President to designate May 7, 2003, as "National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy."

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 18 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 18

 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should strive 
to prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teenagers to view adolescence 
 as a time for education and maturing and by educating teenagers about 
   the negative consequences of early sexual activity; and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 11, 2003

   Mr. Lieberman (for himself and Ms. Snowe) submitted the following 
   concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should strive 
to prevent teen pregnancy by encouraging teenagers to view adolescence 
 as a time for education and maturing and by educating teenagers about 
   the negative consequences of early sexual activity; and for other 
                               purposes.

Whereas nearly 4 in 10 girls in the United States will become pregnant before 
        the age of 20;
Whereas the United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and childbirth 
        in the industrialized world;
Whereas, despite significant progress over the past decade, there are still 
        nearly 900,000 teen pregnancies each year;
Whereas, on average, nearly 100 teenage girls become pregnant and 55 teenage 
        girls give birth every hour;
Whereas childbearing by teenagers costs taxpayers at least $7,000,000,000 each 
        year in direct costs associated with health care, foster care, criminal 
        justice, and public assistance;
Whereas teen pregnancy is closely linked to the social problems of welfare 
        dependency, poverty and out-of-wedlock births, and has negative 
        ramifications with respect to the critical social issues of overall 
        child well-being, responsible fatherhood, and workforce development;
Whereas mothers who give birth as teenagers are less likely to complete high 
        school and attend college, thereby unduly limiting their potential for 
        economic self-sufficiency;
Whereas more than half of all mothers on welfare gave birth as teenagers to 
        their first children;
Whereas 1 out of 2 unmarried mothers first gave birth as a teenager;
Whereas 80 percent of births to teenagers involve unmarried teen mothers;
Whereas almost all adults and teenagers believe that teenagers should be given a 
        strong message from society that they should abstain from sex until they 
        have at least completed high school; and
Whereas the children of teen mothers are more likely to be at risk for a variety 
        of adverse health and educational outcomes than other children: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL DAY TO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should strive to prevent teen 
        pregnancy by encouraging teens to view adolescence as a time 
        for education and maturing, and by educating teens about the 
        negative consequences of early sexual activity; and
            (2) the President should designate May 7, 2003, as 
        ``National Day To Prevent Teen Pregnancy''.
    (b) Proclamation.--Congress requests the President to issue a 
proclamation designating May 7, 2003, as ``National Day To Prevent Teen 
Pregnancy''.
                                 <all>