IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 376 

Expressing support for designation of the calendar year 2009 as ‘‘The Year 

of the Safe Child’’ to raise awareness and encourage the prevention 

of unintentional injuries among the Nation’s children. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 28, 2009 

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan (for himself and Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 

case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 

the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of the calendar year 2009 

as ‘‘The Year of the Safe Child’’ to raise awareness 

and encourage the prevention of unintentional injuries 

among the Nation’s children. 

Whereas unintentional injury is the number one killer of children under 19 years of age; 

Whereas each year more than 5,000 children under 15 years 

of age die from unintentional injuries; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC) reports that unintentional injuries remain the 


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•HRES 376 IH 

leading cause of nonfatal injuries treated in hospital 

emergency departments across the Nation; 

Whereas for children ages 14 and under, the leading causes 

of unintentional injury deaths are motor vehicle-related 

injuries, drowning, residential fires or burn injury, suffocation and pedestrian injury; 

Whereas 90 percent of these injuries and deaths are preventable; 

Whereas the CDC estimates that direct and indirect medical 

expenses stemming from injuries among children under 

15 years of age costs the Nation $51,000,000,000; 

Whereas, children are among our most valuable resources and 

are at greater risk for many injuries than adults; 

Whereas young children have immature physical coordination 

and cognitive abilities, and are at greater risk of falls 

from bicycles and playground equipment; 

Whereas young children’s developing bones and muscles may 

make them more susceptible to injury in car crashes if 

they are not properly restrained; 

Whereas children are particularly vulnerable to pedestrian-related motor vehicle injuries; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that reducing the barriers to attaining safety devices (such as smoke alarms, bicycle helmets, car seats 

and booster seats), increasing educational efforts directed 

toward children who are at high risk for injury, and improving the overall safety of the child’s environment, are 

preventative strategies to keeping kids safe from unintentional injuries; 


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Whereas these evidence-based interventions are cost-effective 

and show great potential in reducing the burden of unintentional injuries among children; 

Whereas the World Health Organization (WHO) and the 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have led the 

development of a landmark World Report on Child Injury 

Prevention, that was released in December 2008, to summarize what is known about child and adolescent injuries, 

including risk factors, promising prevention practices, 

and overall recommendations for injury prevention and 

control; and 

Whereas the calender year 2009 would be appropriate to designate as ‘‘The Year of the Safe Child’’: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘The Year of 

3 the Safe Child’’; 

4 (2) commends the Centers for Disease Control 

5 and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Preven6 tion and Control, the World Health Organization, 

7 the United Nations Children’s Fund, Safe Kids 

8 Worldwide, and all other supportive organizations 

9 for their efforts to promote awareness about pre10 venting and reducing unintentional injuries among 

11 children in the United States and around the globe; 

12 (3) encourages the private sector, the public 

13 health community, health care providers, advocacy 

14 organizations, and Federal, State, and local governVerDate Nov 24 2008 03:01 Apr 29, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR376.IH HR376

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1 ments to work together to increase education and 

2 awareness about the prevention of childhood injuries; 

3 (4) urges national and community organiza4 tions, businesses, individuals, and the media to use 

5 ‘‘The Year of the Safe Child’’ to promote awareness 

6 of this important public health problem in order to 

7 reduce the incidence of unintentional injuries among 

8 children in the United States; and 

9 (5) urges the President to issue a proclamation 

10 calling upon the people of the United States to ob11 serve ‘‘The Year of the Safe Child’’ with appropriate 

12 activities. 

Æ 


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