SLS 13RS-6 ORIGINAL
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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 5
BY SENATOR CORTEZ
CHILDREN. Requests the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department
of Health and Hospitals, and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety
services, office of motor vehicles, to promote statewide the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's "Where's baby? Look before you lock." campaign.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of2
Health and Hospitals, and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public3
safety services, office of motor vehicles, to promote statewide the National Highway4
Traffic Safety Administration's Where's baby? Look before you lock. campaign.5
WHEREAS, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Where's baby?6
Look before you lock. campaign is a joint effort between the National Highway Traffic7
Safety Administration and Safe Kids Worldwide to prevent child deaths from heatstroke; and8
WHEREAS, heatstroke (medically termed "hyperthermia") is the leading cause of9
non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children under the age of fourteen, with at least thirty-10
three fatalities reported within the United States for the year 2011; and11
WHEREAS, in 2010, there were forty-nine vehicular heatstroke deaths of such12
children within the United States; and13
WHEREAS, since 1998, at least five hundred thirty-two children nationwide have14
lost their lives to vehicular heatstroke, with most deaths occurring among children three15
years of age and younger; and16
WHEREAS, an unknown number of children are injured each year due to vehicular17
heatstroke, suffering ailments including permanent brain injury, blindness, and loss of18 SCR NO. 5
SLS 13RS-6 ORIGINAL
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hearing, among others; and1
WHEREAS, parents and caregivers are the first line of defense against vehicular2
heatstroke deaths and injuries; and3
WHEREAS, heatstroke deaths and injuries often occur after a child gets into an4
unlocked vehicle to play unbeknownst to the parent or caregiver, or when a parent or5
caregiver who is not used to transporting a child as part of his daily routine inadvertently6
forgets an infant in a rear-facing car seat in the back of the vehicle.7
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby8
urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Health9
and Hospitals, and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services,10
office of motor vehicles, to promote statewide the National Highway Traffic Safety11
Administration's Where's baby? Look before you lock. campaign.12
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the13
secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, the secretary of the14
Department of Health and Hospitals, and the commissioner of the Department of Public15
Safety and Corrections, public safety services, office of motor vehicles.16
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christopher D. Adams.
DIGEST
Cortez SCR No. 5
Requests the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Health and
Hospitals, and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services,
office of motor vehicles, to promote statewide the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's Where's baby? Look before you lock. campaign.