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2013 -- S 0499 | |
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LC01879 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
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IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
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JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013 | |
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N | |
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SUPPORTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE DISTRICT COURT'S STATE-WIDE | |
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VETERANS' COURT | |
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Introduced By: Senators Jabour, Cote, Bates, Pichardo, and Ottiano | |
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Date Introduced: February 28, 2013 | |
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Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs | |
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WHEREAS, Since 2001, over two million American military personnel have been |
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deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan; and |
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WHEREAS, Rhode Island, along with the rest of the country, is witnessing the return of |
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our mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, and sons and daughters from the field of battle; and |
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WHEREAS, Rhode Island despite its small size, has borne a significant share of sacrifice |
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in these recent conflicts; and |
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WHEREAS, The call back to active duty status rate of our state’s National Guard is the |
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second highest in the entire United States, with over 10,000 unit deployments; and |
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WHEREAS, The number of veterans living in Rhode Island who served in the Gulf Wars |
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is three times higher than the national per capita average, and is expected to grow as troops begin |
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to withdraw from Afghanistan; and |
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WHEREAS, The current estimate of service members, who within a year of leaving |
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combat will develop psychological and neurological injuries associated with post traumatic stress |
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disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI), dubbed the “signature injuries” of the Iraq War, |
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is between 10 and 30 percent; and |
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WHEREAS, A 2006 study illustrated the need in Rhode Island for trauma-related |
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services for veterans from the Gulf Wars (between 2,019 and 6,183 veterans in need) and other |
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wars (between 10,794 and 33,054 veterans in need); and |
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WHEREAS, “No Soldier Left Behind” is a code which Americans have always been |
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proud to support and live by; and |
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WHEREAS, We owe our returning soldiers a similar duty when they come home injured |
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or affected in a way that has altered who they are and what they do, especially if that injury |
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causes or fuels behavior that puts them into our criminal justice system; and |
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WHEREAS, These men and women have volunteered to put on a uniform and have |
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willingly followed our flag into potential harm’s way. We now have a duty to assist these |
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individuals; and |
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WHEREAS, The first Veterans’ Court in New England opened its doors for referrals in |
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the Rhode Island District Court in April of 2011, with dedicated resources and a specially |
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designated court calendar; and |
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WHEREAS, The Veterans’ Court is a treatment court that requires dedication, hard work, |
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and motivation on the part of defendants, providing treatment programs which address the unique |
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challenges veterans face, while additionally providing them with the tools and insight needed to |
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become whole again, and ultimately reintegrate successfully into society; and |
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WHEREAS, This state has continually supported and funded alternatives to |
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incarceration, that stress treatment, rehabilitation, and personal responsibility while saving |
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taxpayers the cost of incarceration and additional crime due to recidivisms; and |
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WHEREAS, This Senate has previously resolved and urged the Congress of the United |
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States to pass legislation that would establish funding for individual states, including Rhode |
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Island, to implement recommendations from the President’s Joining Forces Initiative that would |
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strengthen behavioral health care systems and supportive services for returning service members, |
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veterans, and their families; now, therefore be it |
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RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations |
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hereby respectfully requests that the Congress of the United States authorize funding of the |
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SERVE ACT through the Office of National Drug Control Policy in order to further develop and |
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implement the District Court’s Veteran’s Treatment Court state-wide; and be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
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transmit duly certified copies to the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation. |
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LC01879 | |
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