103 STAT. 782 PUBLIC LAW 101-135—OCT. 30, 1989 Public Law 101-135 101st Congress Joint Resolution Oct. 30, 1989 To designate October 29, 1989, as "Fire Safety At Home—Change Your Clocit, Change [S.J. Res. 177] Your Battery Day". Whereas every year, 500,000 fires ravage the homes of Americans, resulting in over 6,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries; Whereas home fires are the leading cause of accidental death and serious injury among children in the United States; Whereas senior citizens, families in substandard housing, and the physically and mentally disabled are at high risk of becoming victims of fire; Whereas 3 out of 4 homes have at least 1 smoke detector, but an estimated one-half are inoperable because of worn or missing batteries; Whereas the International Association of Fire Chiefs estimates that the annual practice of changing batteries in smoke detectors would save thousands of lives and billions of dollars in property damage; Whereas the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, with its broad- based bipartisan membership, reflects the concern of Congress for fire safety and its dedication to making it an important national priority; Whereas the designation of a special day to remind Americans to properly maintain their smoke detectors, timed to coincide with the autumnal return to Standard Time, would greatly diminish this human tragedy; and Whereas October 29, 1989, is the day Americans in jurisdictions on Daylight Savings Time return their clocks to Standard Time: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That October 29, 1989, is designated as "Fire Safety at Home—Change Your Clock, and Change Your Battery Day", and the President is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe that day by maintaining their homes' first line of defense against fire by changing the batteries in their smoke detectors when they reset their clocks to Standard Time. Approved October 30, 1989. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S.J. Res. 177: CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 135 (1989): Oct. 20, considered and passed Senate. Oct. 24, considered and passed House.
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