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Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
2007 SESSION
072312208WHEREAS, the safety of children and the humane treatment of animals are commonly held goals of all citizens of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, the death of Dorothy Sullivan demands remedial action in tribute to her and those like her who met tragic ends or were injured because of misguided treatment of companion animals; and
WHEREAS, companion animals, properly treated, provide inestimable joy, comfort, solace, and companionship to their human keepers and the world at large; and
WHEREAS, children are our future and must be properly guided by society in their relationships with each other and the creatures around them; and
WHEREAS, the various Standards of Learning are routinely reviewed and revised every seven years; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Education be requested to include standards regarding instruction on animal safety and the humane treatment of animals in future revisions of the Standards of Learning. However, in the event that the Department of Education determines that such a revision of the Standards of Learning is not feasible, the Department shall propose alternative methods of achieving the objective of including instruction on the humane treatment of companion animals to children in the public schools through the character education curriculum.
Further, the Department of Education shall advise all public school divisions that they are currently permitted to provide appropriate instruction regarding the humane treatment of animals and animal safety utilizing volunteers and external materials. The Department of Education is requested to ascertain the best educational practices and programs currently employed by school divisions in the Commonwealth to improve animal safety and the humane treatment of animals and provide a review of such practices to appropriate Standards of Learning review teams.
The Department of Education shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary and report of its progress in meeting the requests of this resolution no later than the first day of the 2008 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary and report shall be submitted for publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.