Bill Text: TX HCR81 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Affirming that fatherhood is essential to the development of all children.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-06 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HCR81 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HCR81-Comm_Sub.html
| 88R9397 TBO-F | ||
| By: Schatzline | H.C.R. No. 81 | |
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| WHEREAS, Fathers play an important role in nurturing and | ||
| supporting children, enabling them to learn, develop, and reach | ||
| their full potential; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Fatherlessness and the lack of important role models | ||
| in the lives of children today are factors of the violence and | ||
| unrest we are witnessing in our state and across our nation; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Despite some successful legislation and the | ||
| creation of fatherhood initiatives, fatherless homes are still | ||
| prevalent; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Research shows children do best when raised by two | ||
| parents in a committed, long-term marriage; and | ||
| WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau, | ||
| 18,400,000 children in the United States live without a father in | ||
| the home, and 2.5 million children in Texas live in single-parent | ||
| homes; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Data supports the hypothesis that having strong male | ||
| role models in the home helps prevent suicide, behavioral | ||
| disorders, juvenile detention, substance abuse, aggression, | ||
| violence, and teen pregnancy; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Fathers play an important role in teaching important | ||
| life skills, providing guidance through challenges, and helping | ||
| children persevere through adversity; and | ||
| WHEREAS, By promoting fatherhood with amended policies that | ||
| remove disincentives to two-parent households, and by following | ||
| evidence-based practices, the number of fatherless homes will | ||
| decrease across all communities; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby | ||
| (1) affirms the importance of fatherhood in caring | ||
| for, nurturing, and supporting children throughout their lives; | ||
| (2) supports the efforts of public officials, | ||
| community leaders, faith leaders, and all citizens to promote and | ||
| encourage engaged fatherhood; | ||
| (3) recognizes the impact that fatherlessness has had | ||
| on American children in creating obstacles for children to learn, | ||
| grow, develop, and live fulfilling and rewarding lives; | ||
| (4) recognizes misaligned incentives in the structure | ||
| of state welfare programs and the barriers they create in allowing | ||
| fathers to return home to their spouse and children; | ||
| (5) supports programs and initiatives to provide | ||
| incarcerated individuals with the tools and skills to seek | ||
| meaningful employment opportunities upon serving their time in | ||
| detention; | ||
| (6) reaffirms support for efforts to encourage | ||
| educational opportunities and economic development in minority | ||
| communities, such as the First Step Act and Opportunity Zones; | ||
| (7) commits to researching and understanding the root | ||
| causes of fatherlessness and crafting public policy that supports | ||
| and encourages fully engaged fatherhood; | ||
| (8) supports addressing the difficulties of child | ||
| custody as it relates to alimony and child support; | ||
| (9) supports exploring programs that help promote male | ||
| role models in children's lives, including through foster parenting | ||
| and mentoring programs, and in so doing reduce overall government | ||
| dependency and social breakdown; and | ||
| (10) recognizes the threat of government growth to | ||
| prosperity, responsibility, and liberty, and thus embraces the | ||
| important role that the private sector, including faith-based | ||
| organizations, can often play in lieu of direct government | ||
| involvement. | ||
