IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 459

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to promoting the use of proven academic and classroom-management solutions

for problems of behavior, attention, and learning in school children.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 4, 2000

Mr. SCHAFFER (for himself, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. PAUL, Mrs. CHENOWETH-HAGE, Mr. LARGENT, Mr.

CHABOT, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. COBURN, Mr.

LINDER, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. TERRY, Mr. GREEN of

Texas, Mr. KUCINICH, and Mr. MCCOLLUM) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the

Workforce

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with

respect to promoting the use of proven academic and

classroom-management solutions for problems of behavior, attention, and learning in school children.

Whereas the Constitution of the United States reserves to the

States the responsibility for the general supervision of

public education in kindergarten through the twelfth

grade;

Whereas State and local education agencies are dedicated to

increasing academic achievement levels for all students

and ensuring that no student is left behind;
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Whereas it is the responsibility of school personnel to ensure

that all students achieve academically;

Whereas only licensed medical personnel have the authority

to prescribe psychotropic drugs;

Whereas State and local education agencies, schools, parents,

and children have expressed serious concerns regarding

the appropriate and thorough diagnosis and medication

of students and the impact on student achievement;

Whereas the Journal of the American Medical Association

has documented that, among children aged two to four,

the use of some psychotropic drugs has tripled between

1991 and 1995, and such findings are extremely troublesome given the very limited amount of research and clinical data that evaluates the safety and effectiveness of

psychotropic drugs on the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of young children;

Whereas the number of American school children receiving

prescription psychotropic drugs now approaches

6,000,000; and

Whereas there are documented incidents of highly negative

consequences resulting from psychotropic drugs that have

been prescribed for school children for what are essentially problems of discipline, and such prescriptions may

be related to the lack of academic success by the children

involved: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the Congress should—

3 (1) exercise its oversight responsibilities and

4 conduct hearings concerning the provision for
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1 school children of prescriptions for psychotropic

2 drugs;

3 (2) recommend that the National Academy of

4 Sciences study the effects of prescription psycho5 tropic drugs on the academic achievement and be6 havior of school children;

7 (3) acknowledge the efforts of State and local

8 education agencies, and support their conclusions

9 and resolutions, regarding the prevalence among

10 school children of prescription psychotropic drugs

11 and the growing crisis of classroom management;

12 (4) encourage school personnel to use proven

13 academic and classroom-management solutions for

14 problems of behavior, attention, and learning dif15 ficulties in school children; and

16 (5) urge greater communication between and

17 education of parents, educators, and medical profes18 sionals regarding the effects of prescription psycho19 tropic drugs on the academic achievement and be20 havior of school children and the ability to provide

21 a successful, safe, and civil learning environment.

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