In 2003 the Catholic bishops of the United States of America met in Dallas, TX to discuss the clerical child sexual abuse scandal and confront it with a renewed and stronger commitment to upholding the values of the Catholic faith. The bishops agreed to a series of new rules, or norms, and developed a set of guidelines to which each diocese would be held to ensure a safe environment for children and a proper response in the event of an allegation of child abuse by a cleric.