TITLE: Recognizing April 3, 2013, as Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing April 3, 2013, as Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, April 3, 2013, is Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas Day at the State Capitol, and the occasion provides a fitting opportunity to honor the association for its outstanding work; and WHEREAS, The Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas is an organization of volunteers who promote quality services and are dedicated to preserving, improving, and expanding services for persons with intellectual disabilities; and WHEREAS, The members of the Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas present the parents' viewpoint to the Department of Aging and Disability Services, the state legislature, Congress, and the general public; and WHEREAS, This association is well known for the support it offers to employees of state facilities and for its advocacy of new programs to meet the unique needs of persons with intellectual disabilities; and WHEREAS, Members of the Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas have been prominently involved in the development of programs for persons with mental retardation since the 1950s, and through the years they have fought vigorously for improved state schools, state centers, special education, and community mental health and mental retardation centers; and WHEREAS, Today, the Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas continues to protect people with intellectual disabilities and tenaciously places responsibility on caregivers to maintain standards for quality care; the organization addresses such issues as fiscal accountability and special population needs; and WHEREAS, The services provided by the Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas have been vital to the welfare of countless Texans, and members of the association are truly worthy of special recognition for their exceptional efforts and outstanding accomplishments; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize April 3, 2013, as Parent Association for the Retarded of Texas Day at the State Capitol and extend to the members of the association best wishes for a meaningful and memorable event. King of Taylor Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 679 was adopted by the House on March 13, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House