[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 8 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.J.Res.8

                       One Hundred Eighth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
           the seventh day of January, two thousand and three


                            Joint Resolution


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to raising awareness and 
   encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the United States and 
supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and 
                            Prevention Month.

Whereas, on average, another person is sexually assaulted in the United 
  States every two minutes;
Whereas, the Department of Justice reports that 248,000 people in the 
  United States were sexually assaulted in 2001;
Whereas, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims of rape or 
  attempted rape;
Whereas, children and young adults are most at risk, as 44 percent of 
  sexual assault victims are under the age of 18, and 80 percent are 
  under the age of 30;
Whereas, sexual assault affects women, men, and children of all racial, 
  social, religious, age, ethnic, and economic groups in the United 
  States;
Whereas, less than 40 percent of sexual assault victims pursue 
  prosecution by reporting their attack to law enforcement agencies;
Whereas, two-thirds of sexual crimes are committed by persons who are 
  not strangers to the victims;
Whereas, the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half in the last 
  decade;
Whereas, because of recent advances in DNA technology, law enforcement 
  agencies have the potential to identify the rapists in tens of 
  thousands of unsolved rape cases;
Whereas, aggressive prosecution can incarcerate rapists and therefore 
  prevent them from committing further crimes;
Whereas, sexual assault victims suffer emotional scars long after the 
  physical scars have healed; and
Whereas, free, confidential help is available to all victims of sexual 
  assault through the National Sexual Assault Hotline, more than 1,000 
  rape crisis centers across the United States, and other organizations 
  that provide services to assist victims of sexual assault: Now, 
  therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That--
        (1) it is the sense of Congress that--
            (A) National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month 
        provides a special opportunity to educate the people of the 
        United States about sexual violence and to encourage both the 
        prevention of sexual assault and the prosecution of its 
        perpetrators;
            (B) it is appropriate to salute the more than 20,000,000 
        victims who have survived sexual assault in the United States 
        and the efforts of victims, volunteers, and professionals who 
        combat sexual assault;
            (C) national and community organizations and private sector 
        supporters should be recognized and applauded for their work in 
        promoting awareness about sexual assault, providing information 
        and treatment to its victims, and encouraging the increased 
        prosecution and punishment of its perpetrators; and
            (D) police, forensic workers, and prosecutors should be 
        recognized and applauded for their hard work and innovative 
        strategies to increase the percentage of sexual assault cases 
        that result in the prosecution and incarceration of the 
        offenders;
        (2) Congress urges national and community organizations, 
    businesses in the private sector, and the media to promote, through 
    National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, awareness 
    of sexual violence and strategies to decrease the incidence of 
    sexual assault; and
        (3) Congress supports the goals and ideals of National Sexual 
    Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.