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[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 121 (Tuesday, September 11, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6238-S6239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                      RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to 
the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions which 
were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 548, S. Res. 549, and S. Res. 
550.
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolutions en bloc.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed 
to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon 
the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and that any 
statements related to the resolutions be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolutions were agreed to.
  The preambles were agreed to.
  The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:

                              S. Res. 548

(Designating the week beginning September 9, 2012, as ``National Direct 
               Support Professionals Recognition Week.'')

       Whereas direct support professionals, direct care workers, 
     personal assistants, personal attendants, in-home support 
     workers, and paraprofessionals (referred to in this preamble 
     as ``direct support professionals'') are the primary 
     providers of publicly funded long term supports and services 
     for millions of individuals with disabilities;
       Whereas a direct support professional must build a close, 
     trusted relationship with an individual with disabilities;
       Whereas a direct support professional assists an individual 
     with disabilities with the most intimate needs on a daily 
     basis;
       Whereas direct support professionals perform a broad range 
     of activities for individuals with disabilities, including 
     preparing meals, managing medications, bathing, dressing, 
     helping with mobility, providing transportation to school, 
     work, and religious and recreational activities, and helping 
     with general daily affairs;
       Whereas a direct support professional provides essential 
     support to help keep an individual with disabilities 
     connected to the family and community of the individual;
       Whereas direct support professionals enable individuals 
     with disabilities to live meaningful, productive lives;
       Whereas direct support professionals are the key to 
     allowing an individual with disabilities to live successfully 
     in the community and avoid more costly institutional care;
       Whereas the majority of direct support professionals are 
     female, and many are the sole breadwinners of their families;
       Whereas, although direct support professionals work and pay 
     taxes, many are impoverished and are eligible for the same 
     Federal and State public assistance programs that individuals 
     with disabilities depend on;
       Whereas Federal policies, State policies, and the opinion 
     of the Supreme Court in Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999) 
     assert the right of an individual to live in his or her home 
     and community;
       Whereas the majority of direct support professionals are 
     employed in home and community-based settings, and the 
     percentage of direct support professionals employed in such 
     settings is projected to increase during this decade;
       Whereas there is a documented critical and growing shortage 
     of direct support professionals in every community throughout 
     the United States; and
       Whereas many direct support professionals are forced to 
     leave jobs due to inadequate wages and benefits, creating 
     high turnover and vacancy rates, which, research 
     demonstrates, adversely affects the quality of supports 
     provided to individuals with disabilities: Now, therefore, be 
     it
         Resolved, That the Senate--
         (1) designates the week beginning September 9, 2012, as 
     ``National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week'';
         (2) recognizes the dedication and vital role of direct 
     support professionals, direct care workers, personal 
     assistants, personal attendants, in-home support workers, and 
     paraprofessionals (referred to in this resolution as ``direct 
     support professionals'') in enhancing the lives of 
     individuals of all ages with disabilities;
         (3) appreciates the contribution of direct support 
     professionals in serving needs that are beyond the capacity 
     of millions of families in the United States;
         (4) commends direct support professionals as integral 
     participants in the long-term support and services system of 
     the United States; and
         (5) finds that the successful implementation of the 
     public policies of the United States depends on the 
     dedication of direct support professionals.

                              S. Res. 549

     (Designating September 2012 as ``Campus Fire Safety Month.'')

       Whereas, each year, States across the United States 
     formally designate the month of September as ``Campus Fire 
     Safety Month'';
       Whereas, since January 2000, at least 152 people, including 
     students, parents, and children, have died in campus-related 
     fires;
       Whereas 85 percent of those deaths occurred in off-campus 
     residences;
       Whereas a majority of college students in the United States 
     live in an off-campus residence;
       Whereas many fatal fires have occurred in a building in 
     which the occupants had compromised or disabled the fire 
     safety system;
       Whereas automatic fire alarm systems provide the early 
     warning of a fire that is necessary for occupants of a 
     building and the fire department to take appropriate action;
       Whereas automatic fire sprinkler systems are a highly 
     effective method of controlling or extinguishing a fire in 
     the early stages, thus protecting the lives of building 
     occupants;
       Whereas many college students live in an off-campus 
     residence, fraternity or sorority housing, or a residence 
     hall that is not adequately protected by automatic fire 
     sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems;
       Whereas fire safety education is an effective method of 
     reducing the occurrence of fires and the resulting loss of 
     life and property damage;
       Whereas college students do not routinely receive effective 
     fire safety education while in college;
       Whereas educating young people in the United States about 
     the importance of fire safety is vital to help ensure that 
     young people engage in fire-safe behavior during college and 
     after college; and
       Whereas developing a generation of adults who practice fire 
     safety may significantly reduce future loss of life from 
     fires: Now, therefore, be it
         Resolved, That the Senate--
         (1) designates September 2012 as ``Campus Fire Safety 
     Month''; and
         (2) encourages administrators of institutions of higher 
     education and municipalities across the United States--
         (A) to provide educational programs to all college 
     students in September and throughout the school year;
         (B) to evaluate the level of fire safety being provided 
     in both on-campus and off-campus student housing; and
         (C) to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire 
     safety education, the installation of fire suppression and 
     detection systems, and the development and enforcement of 
     applicable codes relating to fire safety.

                              S. Res. 550

(Designating September 13, 2012, as ``National Celiac Disease Awareness 
                                Day.'')

       Whereas according to the National Center for Health 
     Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     celiac disease affects approximately 1 in every 141 people in 
     the United States;
       Whereas the majority of people with celiac disease have yet 
     to be diagnosed;
       Whereas celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder 
     that is classified as both an autoimmune condition and a 
     genetic condition;
       Whereas celiac disease causes damage to the lining of the 
     small intestine, which results in overall malnutrition;
       Whereas when a person with celiac disease consumes foods 
     that contain certain protein fractions, that person suffers a 
     cell-mediated immune response that damages the villi of the 
     small intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients 
     in food and the effectiveness of medications;
       Whereas such problematic protein fractions are found in 
     wheat, barley, rye, and oats, which are used to produce many 
     foods, medications, and vitamins;
       Whereas because celiac disease is a genetic disease, there 
     is an increased incidence of celiac disease in families with 
     a known history of celiac disease;
       Whereas celiac disease is underdiagnosed because the 
     symptoms can be attributed to other conditions and are easily 
     overlooked by doctors and patients;
       Whereas as recently as 2000, the average person with celiac 
     disease waited 11 years for a correct diagnosis;
       Whereas \1/2\ of all people with celiac disease do not show 
     symptoms of the disease;
       Whereas celiac disease is diagnosed by tests that measure 
     the blood for abnormally high levels of the antibodies of 
     immunoglobulin A, antitissue transglutaminase, and IgA 
     antiendomysium antibodies;
       Whereas celiac disease can be treated only by implementing 
     a diet free of wheat, barley, rye, and oats, often called a 
     ``gluten-free diet'';
       Whereas a delay in the diagnosis of celiac disease can 
     result in damage to the small intestine, which leads to an 
     increased risk for

[[Page S6239]]

     malnutrition, anemia, lymphoma, adenocarcinoma, osteoporosis, 
     miscarriage, congenital malformation, short stature, and 
     disorders of the skin and other organs;
       Whereas celiac disease is linked to many autoimmune 
     disorders, including thyroid disease, systemic lupus 
     erythematosus, type 1 diabetes, liver disease, collagen 
     vascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's 
     syndrome;
       Whereas the connection between celiac disease and diet was 
     first established by Dr. Samuel Gee, who wrote, ``if the 
     patient can be cured at all, it must be by means of diet'';
       Whereas Dr. Samuel Gee was born on September 13, 1839; and
       Whereas the Senate is an institution that can raise 
     awareness in the general public and the medical community of 
     celiac disease: Now, therefore, be it
         Resolved, That the Senate--
         (1) designates September 13, 2012, as ``National Celiac 
     Disease Awareness Day'';
         (2) recognizes that all people of the United States 
     should become more informed and aware of celiac disease;
         (3) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     National Celiac Disease Awareness Day with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities; and
         (4) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Celiac Sprue 
     Association, the American Celiac Society, and the Celiac 
     Disease Foundation.

                          ____________________
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