THE BLACK YOUTH SUICIDE EPIDEMIC
WHEREAS, since 1993, the suicide rate in Black children has increased significantly, from 1.36 million, and 2.54 per million and decreased in White children, from 1.14 to 0.77 per million according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration;
WHEREAS, the suicide rate of Black children ages 5 to 12 is roughly two times higher compared with White children of the same age group;
WHEREAS, the United States has failed to act on behalf of Black youth by implementing laws to address this newly emerged health crisis;
WHEREAS, the states of New York and New Jersey have recognized that Black youth suicides are on the rise and have made efforts to combat the alarming suicide rates by attempting to implement legislation; however, to date, legislation specifically addressing Black youth suicides has not been passed in these or any other states;
WHEREAS, black youth are disproportionately exposed to violence and traumatic stress in their communities, which can increase the likelihood of these youth dying by suicide;
WHEREAS, racial discrimination, poverty, and unhealthy dietary practices are also risk factors for poor mental health and suicidal ideation among Black youth;
WHEREAS, according to the National Institutes of Health, “[c]yberbullying disproportionately affects youth who are already vulnerable to mental health and behavioral health disparities, including members of sexual minorities (i.e., gay, lesbian, bisexual), girls, and racial and ethnic minorities”;
WHEREAS, a lack of awareness of mental health and adequate mental health treatment within Black communities add to the adversity surrounding Black youth suicide rates; and
WHEREAS, black youth accounted for nearly 11% of 9th-12th grade students who reported having been electronically bullied during the previous 12 months, and a 2011 study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics revealed 252, 000 Black youth were cyberbullied.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) call on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct extensive research regarding Black youth suicides, followed by the development of an extensively researched national plan of action for suicide prevention among all youth;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL supports the U.S. Congress providing funding and support for this plan of action and includes a national policy that mandates youth suicide prevention training and awareness in states and communities;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL work with community stakeholders to ensure that the trainings occur in their states and local communities;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the plan of action also include the creation of a suicide prevention and cyberbullying resources and services similar to a hotline but updated for use with social media and modern technology for youth of all racial and ethnic groups, and such resources should be implemented to address the present racial disparities in mental health treatment and cyberbullying of youth of color; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.
- SPONSOR(S): Senator Brenda Gilmore (TN) and Representative Karen Camper (TN)
- Committee of Jurisdiction: Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Policy Committee
- Ratified in Plenary Session: December 2, 2021
- Ratification certified by: Representative Billy Mitchell (GA), NBCSL President
RESTRICTING CERTAIN DOG BREEDS
WHEREAS, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) is committed to equal treatment and opportunity for the African American in the United States;
WHEREAS, 69 million American households own at least one dog;
WHEREAS, breed specific legislation refers to laws and/or policies that selectively apply to one or more dog breeds or dog breed mixes, often based on their appearance;
WHEREAS, cities, counties, and other government or quasi-government entities and/or agencies across the United States have enacted and enforce breed specific legislation;
WHEREAS, breed specific legislation ranges in impact and can include requirements such as mandatory sterilization, increased liability insurance, mandatory muzzling, registration requirements, or outright bans on the ownership or possession of the specific breed/breed mix;
WHEREAS, pit bull terrier-type dogs are the most frequent subject of breed specific legislation;
WHERAS, breed specific legislation is not based on science or data but is based upon outdated stereotypes and conjecture;
WHEREAS, Americans often associate pit bull terrier-type dogs with people of color, specifically young, Black men;
WHEREAS, breed specific legislation negatively and disproportionately affects people and communities of color;
WHEREAS, because pit bull terrier-type dogs are typically associated with young, Black men and because breed specific legislation typically targets pit bull terrier type dogs, breed specific legislation disproportionately affects African Americans;
WHEREAS, there are a wide variety of laws that foster safe dog ownership for the owner and the dog regardless of the various dog breeds;
WHEREAS, more Black people live below the poverty line than white people; and
WHEREAS, people living below the poverty line are less able to pay criminal penalties and to comply with superfluous requirements to own a breed subject to breed specific legislation.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) denounces breed specific legislation, including breed specific policies, which apply to specific dog breed or dog breed mixes and believes that such laws are discriminatory in nature;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL calls for all states, local governments, government agencies, and/or quasi-governmental entities to repeal any and all breed specific legislation or policies;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL supports safe pet ownership and responsible regulation to protect both pets and members of the community, as long as such regulation is not discriminatory against certain breads;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL calls for all states to enact laws preempting local government, government agencies, and/or quasi-governmental entities from enacting breed specific legislation; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.
- SPONSOR: Representative Karen Camper (TN)
- Committee of Jurisdiction: Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Policy Committee
- Ratified in Plenary Session: December 2, 2021
- Ratification certified by: Representative Billy Mitchell (GA), NBCSL President
MODERNIZING THE CHILD NUTRITION ACT
WHEREAS, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators has a commitment to the food security of all children, and the federal child nutrition programs are critical for our nation’s health, economy, and national security;
WHEREAS, regular access to healthy and affordable meals has been proven to be one of the strongest means of improved school performance, improved health, and sound childhood development;
WHEREAS, according to 2020 Census data, black households reported food insecurity rates that were more than twice as high as white households;
WHEREAS, research shows that childhood hunger and food insecurity have a range of negative impacts on the health, academic performance, and overall well-being of children;
WHEREAS, research suggests that older Black students may be more likely to skip meals during the week than White students;
WHEREAS, school nutrition programs offer the opportunity to provide healthy food and improve dietary quality for students who may otherwise not eat;
WHEREAS, school meals can also have a positive impact on grades, absences, and tardiness among students;
WHEREAS, students from Black families are more likely to receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year and research shows students who receive these meals during the school year are more likely to face food insufficiency in the summer;
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic spike in the rate of children experiencing hunger and food insecurity, peaking at 18% of families with children reporting their household didn’t have enough to eat in December 2020 according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and also created challenges to safely accessing child nutrition programs;
WHEREAS, substantial racial and ethnic disparities in food insecurity exist among parents of school-age children, and Black families experienced significant hardship as a result of the pandemic;
WHEREAS, approximately 4 in 10 families with parents who are Black (40.8%) reported food insecurity in the prior 30 days, almost triple the rate of families with White parents (15.1%);
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an ongoing increase in the scope and scale of children experiencing hunger and food insecurity with the most recent estimates from Feeding America showing that 13 million may face hunger in 2021 compared with the all-time low of 11 million in 2019, according to USDA;
WHEREAS, non-congregate meal delivery options were especially critical in distributing meals to children in rural and hard to reach communities, or where transportation challenges make it difficult for programs to distribute meals at a localized site;
WHEREAS, the child nutrition programs are the front line of defense against childhood hunger and food insecurity, promoting healthy eating and providing healthy, nutritious food for the nation’s children through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Summer EBT for Children (SEBTC), Pandemic-EBT, the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
WHEREAS, the SEBTC Program reaches children who most need additional food support over summer and school breaks and is proven to reduce food insecurity among children;
WHEREAS, P-EBT, a temporary program providing a grocery benefit to children who have lost access to free and reduced priced meals at school due to COVID-19, has been highly effective at reducing food insecurity;
WHEREAS, CEP program promotes equity and reduces stigma for families, and has been proven to reduce hunger and improve student outcomes;
WHEREAS, a proven barrier to continued participation in the WIC Program is unavailability of remote appointments, short certification periods, and lack of flexibility in food purchasing, ordering, and delivery;
WHEREAS, millions of children benefit from these programs, including the 21.5 million low- income children who participated in the school lunch program and the 12.4 million who participated in the school breakfast program in the 2018-2019 school year, as well as the 6.3 million mothers and children who received food and nutrition education through WIC and 2.8 million children who ate summer meals in 2019;
WHEREAS, the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 has improved the nutritional standards for school nutrition programs and as a result, kids have access to increased fruits, vegetables, and whole grains but less sugars, fats and sodium, and that Congress has the opportunity to ensure that children continue to have access to nutritious and quality meals to help prevent childhood hunger and obesity;
WHEREAS, Congress has an opportunity to improve and strengthen access to nutrition through the 2021 Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) bill, by making permanent the COVID-19 waiver flexibilities that help to better reach children and by including provisions that would increase access and reach more kids through streamlining, reducing administrative burdens, and providing program flexibility, giving them the access to quality meals that they have during the school year;
WHEREAS, an adequately funded and evidence-based reauthorization bill can reduce childhood hunger and food insecurity in America, help reduce childhood obesity, improve child nutrition and health, and enhance healthy child development and school readiness; allowing children to reach their full potential; and
WHEREAS, Congress has a unique opportunity in the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act to improve and promote equitable access and nutrition for millions of children, particularly low-income children.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) urges Congress to protect, strengthen and improve the child nutrition programs through a Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act that builds on the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 to ensure that low-income children continue to have access to nutritious meals throughout the year;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges Congress to streamline and simplify provisions governing the summer meals program in order to reduce administrative burdens, bureaucracies and duplications in program administration and operation during the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges Congress to allow for more flexibility around where children are able to access and eat summer meals, by allowing for non-congregate models in communities where summer meals sites are not available and lowering the threshold required to operate sites open to all children;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges Congress to permanently authorize the operation of the SEBTC program, make program funding mandatory and expand the reach of the program to kids eligible for free or reduced-price school meals in all states, tribal nations and localities in order to close the summer meals gap;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges Congress to permanently authorize the PEBT system beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing authorities to quickly deliver increased nutritional aid during times of crisis;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges Congress to expand the well- documented benefits of CEP, which allows schools to serve meals at no charge to all students if enough are identified as qualifying for other assistance programs, by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP), increasing the ISP multiplier, expanding direct certification with Medicaid data nationwide, and supporting the improvement of direct certification systems;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges Congress to increase the flexibility of WIC appointments through increased access to remote appointments and extended certification periods as well as to support equitable access to the WIC food package through modernization efforts that increase access to online ordering, online purchasing, and delivery;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL supports the enactment of a Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act that ensures low-income children’s improved and equitable access to and participation in the child nutrition programs, and, that it includes the policy goals stated above; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.
- SPONSOR(S): Delegate Regina Boyce (MD), Senator Shevrin Jones (FL), Senator Steven Bradford (CA), and Senator Edward James (LA)
- Committee of Jurisdiction: Children, Youth, and Families(CYF) Policy Committee
- Ratified in Plenary Session: December 2, 2021
- Ratification certified by: Representative Billy Mitchell (GA), NBCSL President
THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCILS
WHEREAS, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators has long had a commitment to youth of our nation, and has sought to including them in many of our Annual Meetings;
WHEREAS, states establish Legislative Youth Advisory Council to provide to the general assembly information from young people concerning issues that are of importance to youth;
WHEREAS, the issues examined by the Council demand the attentiveness of the community, and; challenge the community to come forth and help the youth in their pursuit of improving their quality of life;
WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 60 million people volunteered and 30% were between the ages of 16-19, this establishes that youth are present to advocate for themselves and to put in the service hours to achieve their goals;
WHEREAS, 20% of the states in the U.S. currently have a Youth Advisory Council;
WHEREAS, according to the Civic Educator, states that have youth councils create opportunities for youth to streamline their involvement in civic engagement and, states like Minnesota, New York, and Indiana create spaces for the youth on the Council to actively engage with their Representatives, state agencies, and Governors to provide vital insight into the issues plaguing youth today;
WHEREAS, the Indiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council has been active within the General Assembly by endorsing legislation and legislators that focus on the following issues: Wage Disclosure Protection (HB 1011), Tuition Caps (HB 1088), Student Hunger and Homelessness (HB 1089), School Funding (SB 2), School Safety (SB 64), and much more;
WHEREAS, African Americans and other ethnic minorities typically report less partnership with legislatures and the Council has the ability to help bridge the gap of trust between the communities and their public servants;
WHEREAS, as noted in the Purpose of the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council, only 29% of young people believe they have a say in what the government does but, Youth Councils are combatting this feeling; and
WHEREAS, every state needs a Youth Advisory Council that can provide facts about the active issues and culture of the youth such as intercultural communication skills training, exploration of potential barriers to education, and institution of policies that are sensitive to the needs of youth from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) urges Congress to consider legislation that will promote a National Youth Advisory Council, thus helping to decrease the racial, ethnic, gender language, disability, and socio-economic disparities apparent today that our youth face;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL urges those states that have not established a Youth Advisory Council in their legislature to consider doing so for the value it adds to the legislature; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.
SPONSOR(S): Representative Robin Shackleford (IN), Representative Earl Harris (IN), and Representative Cherrish Pryor (IN)
Committee of Jurisdiction: Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Policy Committee
Ratified in Plenary Session: December 2, 2021
Ratification certified by: Representative Billy Mitchell (GA), NBCSL President