SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 17

(By Senators Tomblin, Mr. President, Jackson, Chafin, Wagner, Bailey and Wooton)

Concerning reductions in the national reserve account grants program.

Whereas, The national reserve account grants program plays a vital role in the education and retraining of displaced and laid- off workers not only in West Virginia but the entire nation; and
Whereas, As a result of federal budget cuts, the amount of funding for this program has decreased from three hundred million to one hundred seventy million dollars in the last three years; and
Whereas, Many individuals will not be able to educate or retrain themselves outside of their skilled profession in order to provide for themselves and their families; and
Whereas, Without a substantial funding increase for the national reserve account grants program, many of these individuals will be forced to rely on state and federal social programs; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the members of the West Virginia Legislature hereby request that public hearings be held on behalf of the Congress of the United States relating to the funding levels of the national reserve accounts grant program; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby requested to forward a copy of this resolution to Robert Reich, secretary of the United States department of labor; senators Robert C. Byrd and John D. Rockefeller III; and congressmen Nick Rahall, Bob Wise and Alan Mollahan.