III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 241 

Expressing support for the designation of November 16, 2011, as National 

Information and Referral Services Day. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 27, 2011 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. JOHANNS, and Mr. NELSON of Nebraska) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions 

NOVEMBER 15, 2011 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of November 16, 

2011, as National Information and Referral Services Day. 

Whereas information and referral services link the consumer 

who has a need or problem with the most appropriate 

service to address that need or solve that problem; 

Whereas quality information and referral services are the 

keystone point of entry to the entire human services 

structure delivery system; 

Whereas information and referral services have been recognized in Federal legislation for more than 35 years since 

the 1973 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act of 


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SRES 241 ATS 

1965 (42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), and the subsequent establishment of the national Eldercare Locator and the development of Aging and Disability Resource Centers; 

Whereas, as of the date of agreement to this resolution, the 

United States is served by information and referral 

through 2–1–1 programs, aging information and referral 

services, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, child 

care resource and referral services, military family centers, and other specialty information and referral services; 

Whereas individuals who understand the variety of services 

available are better equipped to make decisions; 

Whereas, in 1997, the national 2–1–1 initiative began with 

the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta creating the first 

24-hour telephone information and referral service using 

the easy-to-remember 2–1–1 dialing code for access; 

Whereas, in 2000, the Federal Communications Commission 

reserved the 2–1–1 dialing code for community information and referral services, intended as an easy-to-remember and universally recognizable number that would serve 

as a vital connection between individuals and families in 

need, and appropriate community-based organizations 

and government agencies, on a regular basis and in times 

of disaster; 

Whereas the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems 

has been providing professional standards and 

credentialing programs for those operating information 

and referral services; 

Whereas expanding access to information about, and referrals 

to, services provides individuals with lower cost and safer 


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SRES 241 ATS 

options for managing their needs, and is likely to reduce 

confusion, frustration, and inaccessibility to services; and 

Whereas requests for assistance through information and referral services and 2–1–1 have increased across the 

United States due to the economic crisis: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses support for the designation of No3 vember 16, 2011, as National Information and Re4 ferral Services Day— 

5 (A) to raise public awareness about the ex6 istence and importance of information and re7 ferral services available to all people in the 

8 United States; and 

9 (B) to more effectively target those serv10 ices to reach individuals most in need; 

11 (2) encourages activities in communities across 

12 the United States involving schools, nonprofit orga13 nizations, businesses, and other entities to ensure in14 formation and referral services are part of everyday 

15 life in addition to emergency preparedness programs; 

16 and 

17 (3) reaffirms the importance of clear and con18 sistent professional standards to govern every aspect 

19 of quality information and referral services. 

Æ 


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