TITLE: Recognizing May 1, 2013, as the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

SUMMARY: Recognizing May 1, 2013, as the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Teen pregnancy is a serious and costly issue in the state and nation, forever changing the lives of the young women and men who experience this unplanned event; and WHEREAS, Adolescent childbearing is linked to a host of public health and social challenges; girls facing unplanned pregnancy are less likely to access prenatal care, and as a consequence are at an increased risk of delivering premature infants and infants with low birth weight; teen mothers are also more likely to drop out of high school and to experience poverty, and their children more often suffer from economic, medical, and behavioral problems compared to children of older parents; and WHEREAS, On May 1, 2013, hundreds of thousands of teens throughout the country are participating in the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, a collaborative effort between the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and numerous educators, health sector leaders, elected officials, faith-based groups, and other prominent organizations; the National Day has proven a success year after year in challenging adolescents to think about the consequences of engaging in sexual relations and to make positive choices about their futures; and WHEREAS, Although the teen birth rate has been declining in recent years, Texas still has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the nation, with a cost to taxpayers of more than $1 billion a year, and the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy provides means of addressing this matter of critical importance; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 1, 2013, as the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and encourage Texans to participate in related events and learn more about the facts associated with adolescent pregnancy. Howard Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1699 was adopted by the House on May 1, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House