Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 100 Part 1.djvu/953

 PUBLIC LAW 99-406- AUG. 27, 1986

100 STAT. 917

Public Law 99-406 99th Congress Joint Resolution To designate the month of September 1986 as "Adult Literacy Awareness Month".

Whereas the incidence of illiteracy and functional illiteracy among the Nation's adult population has critical effects on our economy, our social institutions, and our security; and unquantifiable personal implications and limitations for millions of Americans; Whereas estimates of illiterate or functionally illiterate Americans range from twenty-three million to over fifty million individuals lacking effective communication skills; Whereas adult illiteracy has not been the focus of general awareness and understanding; Whereas illiteracy is not limited to any region of the Nation, nor to any social, economic, or ethnic group, but is widespread and present in every community; Whereas adult illiterates are family members, providers, and citizens of a community, and are motivated to improve their skills and lives by seeking remediation when it is provided; Whereas Americans traditionally have responded to the call to aid their fellow citizens when they are aware of and understand a problem, and can help resolve the problem of adult illiteracy by volunteering to serve as tutors, providing in-kind services, and supporting in numerous ways efforts to combat illiteracy; Whereas the problem of adult illiteracy is amendable to solution if there is maximum private initiative, public-private cooperation, and community action to provide assistance to those in need; Whereas the Federal Government is beginning to recognize the critical need to address adult illiteracy and the private sector is beginning to address the problem through a number of initiatives; Whereas one thousand four hundred newspapers will focus on the problem of adult literacy beginning the month of September 1986; and a major broadcast network and public broadcasting have joined together in an awareness and information campaign called Project Literacy US (PLUS) which will begin on-air programming in September 1986; Whereas more than seventy major national organizations including those involved in education, religion, business, labor, employee associations, agriculture, veterans, service clubs, trade and professional associations have pledged to support PLUS at the local level and among their membership; and Whereas others in communications—television, magazine publishers, book publishers, broadcasters, and advertising agencies—will support and encourage efforts to raise awareness of the problem of adult illiteracy in September of 1986 and beyond: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the month of September 1986 is designated as "Adult Literacy Awareness Month" and the President of the United States is authorized and requested to

Aug. 27, 1986 r s j Res 3581

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