The 100 senators submitted 122 bills and resolutions before their arrival in D.C.
Teen suicide is a major concern for Jimmil Taylor, one of Mississippi’s two senators this year at American Legion Boys Nation.
“At my school there’s been a ton of suicides lately. Just in my class alone there’s been four over the past year,” Taylor said.
So Taylor crafted a bill to help address teen suicide and submitted it as his legislation at Boys Nation.
“I created a bill that allows students to get a mental break and have direct access to a therapist or someone like that at the school, because a lot of kids are scared to go talk to the counselors for different personal problems,” Taylor said.
Taylor and his 99 fellow Boys Nation senators — all entering their senior year of high school — were tasked with submitting at least one piece of legislation to potentially be considered during their week in the program. It’s a requirement each year for the senators who come to Washington, D.C., from across the country to participate in the “week that shapes a lifetime.”
For many, their legislation — be it a bill or a simple resolution — is personal.
“I have a cousin that passed away a few years ago from a specific syndrome, and my bill is to try to get more federal aid and research for grants to help with that Rett syndrome so it can be better for other kids down the road,” said P.J. Weaver of Illinois.
Others were influenced by the issues facing their parents or other adult family members.
“My parents work public service jobs so a lot of benefits that they have from jobs come from wins negotiated by unions, so I wrote a bill protecting the right to organize and protecting unions,” said Henry Pahlow of Wisconsin.
Andrew Puthumana of Missouri said his state recently proposed that police officers carry Narcan and naloxone on them to handle issues with opioid abuse.
“I have two sisters who are in the healthcare profession, and they’ve made it clear how impactful Narcan is, especially for opiate overdoses. So my bill’s proposing that all police departments within the nation are equipped with Narcan as first responders to prevent opioid overdose deaths,” Puthumana said.
The 100 senators submitted 122 pieces of potential legislation; there won’t be time to consider them all.
They’ll first have to pass through one of the four committees, each of which takes on similar roles to those of the numerous real-world Senate committees. Those that pass through will then head to the Senate floor for debate.
And even those that pass the Senate may not become “law” at Boys Nation. The president, who will be elected Tuesday night, has the power to veto legislation he doesn’t like.
To view the bills and resolutions submitted by the 2023 Boys Nation senators and track their progress, go to Legion.org/BoysNation/Legislation.
Follow the happenings at American Legion Boys Nation at legion.org/boysnation, on YouTube at americanlegionHQ, and on social media on Twitter (@ALBoysNation) and Instagram (@theamericanlegion) with the hashtag #BoysNation2023.
- Boys Nation