Reps. Haveman, Roy Schmidt, Lyons, Genetski, Jackson, Wayne Schmidt, Bumstead, Horn, Opsommer, Johnson, Yonker, Hooker, McMillin, MacGregor, Nesbitt, Lori, Pettalia, Cotter, Shirkey, Muxlow, Outman, MacMaster, Price, Olson, Agema, Walsh, McBroom, Lund, Daley and Rogers offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 111.

            A resolution to memorialize the President and the United States Congress to enact legislation protecting the rights of conscience of students seeking counseling degrees and licensed professional counselors.

            Whereas, University students in Michigan and other states have been punished or dismissed from counseling programs for adhering to their sincerely held religious convictions; and

            Whereas, There is an increasing number of disturbing reports that the counseling profession is eliminating from the profession persons who take their religious faith seriously; and

            Whereas, The American Counseling Association, a private organization that promulgates a code of ethics widely used by university counseling programs and state licensure boards in training for and regulating the counseling profession, has publicly supported universities that have punished or dismissed students for adhering to their sincere religious convictions; and

            Whereas, The American Counseling Association recently urged the governor of Arizona to veto a bill that protects the religious liberties of university students enrolled in counseling programs; and

            Whereas, Persons should not be subjected to a religious test as a condition of obtaining the education necessary to serve as a licensed counselor or as a condition of acquiring a counseling license; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the President and the United States Congress to enact legislation protecting the rights of conscience of students seeking counseling degrees and licensed professional counselors; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Office of the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.