[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 584 Introduced in House (IH)]






107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 584

 Supporting the goals and ideas of a National Sexual Assault Awareness 
                                 Month.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 10, 2002

Mrs. Wilson of New Mexico submitted the following resolution; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting the goals and ideas of a National Sexual Assault Awareness 
                                 Month.

Whereas rape and sexual assault by non-strangers and strangers affects women, 
        children, and men of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds;
Whereas women, children, and men suffer multiple types of sexual violence;
Whereas the Department of Justice reports that a sexual assault occurs every 90 
        seconds;
Whereas it is estimated by the Bureau of Justice Statistics that over 70 percent 
        of rapes are never reported to the police;
Whereas in addition to the immediate physical and emotional costs, sexual 
        assault may also have associated consequences of post-traumatic stress 
        disorder, substance abuse, major depression, homelessness, eating 
        disorders, and suicide;
Whereas it is important to recognize the compassion and dedication of the 
        individuals who provide services to survivors and work to increase the 
        public understanding of this significant problem;
Whereas State coalitions and local rape crisis centers across the Nation are 
        committed to increasing public awareness of sexual violence and its 
        prevalence and to eliminating it through education;
Whereas important partnerships have been formed among criminal and juvenile 
        justice agencies, allied professionals, and victim services;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified sexual 
        assault as a significant, costly, and preventable health issue; and
Whereas the United States Government has expressed a commitment to eliminating 
        sexual violence in society with various legislative actions and 
        appropriations, including the Violence Against Women Act, Grants to 
        Combat Violence Against Women on Campus, and through projects of the 
        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideas of a National Sexual 
        Assault Awareness Month;
            (2) encourages individual and collective efforts that 
        reflect the vision of a Nation where no sexual assault victim 
        goes un-served or ever feels there is no path to justice and 
        where citizens work toward eliminating all forms of sexual 
        violence; and
            (3) requests the President to issue a proclamation calling 
        on the people of the United States and interested groups to 
        observe a National Sexual Assault Awareness Month with 
        appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to reflect the 
        commitment to eliminating sexual violence from society and to 
        acknowledge the work of organizations and individuals against 
        sexual violence.
                                 <all>