[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 159 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 159

  Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual 
                        Assault Awareness Month.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 8, 2017

 Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mrs. Ernst) submitted 
      the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual 
                        Assault Awareness Month.

Whereas, according to the Department of Justice, there were an estimated 90,185 
        rapes reported to law enforcement in 2015, which is a 6.3-percent 
        increase as compared to 2014;
Whereas, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 1 in 5 women 
        and 1 in 71 men will experience an attempted or completed rape at some 
        point in their lives;
Whereas, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an individual 
        is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds in the United States, but for 
        every 1000 rapes committed, on average only--

    (1) 310 rapes are reported to law enforcement;

    (2) 57 reported rape cases lead to an arrest;

    (3) 11 rape cases are referred for prosecution;

    (4) 7 rape cases lead to a felony conviction; and

    (5) 6 convicted rapists are sentenced to some form of incarceration;

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 
        \1/2\ of all female rape victims reported being raped by an intimate 
        partner;
Whereas sexual violence is a burden for many individuals who serve in the United 
        States Armed Forces, and the Department of Defense estimates that in 
        2015, over 16,000 service members intervened in situations they believed 
        to be at risk for sexual assault;
Whereas sexual assault does not discriminate on any basis and can affect any 
        individual in the United States;
Whereas sexual violence may take many forms, including acquaintance, stranger, 
        spousal, and gang rape, incest, child sexual abuse, commercial sex 
        trafficking, sexual harassment, and stalking;
Whereas, according to the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, in addition 
        to the immediate physical and emotional costs, sexual assault can have 
        numerous adverse consequences for the victim, which may include post-
        traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, major depression, 
        homelessness, eating disorders, and suicide;
Whereas many sexual assaults are not reported to law enforcement agencies, which 
        enables many perpetrators to evade punishment for their crimes;
Whereas sexual assault survivors suffer emotional complications long after their 
        physical scars have healed;
Whereas advances in deoxyribonucleaic acid (DNA) technology have enabled law 
        enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute the perpetrators in tens 
        of thousands of unsolved sexual assault cases;
Whereas incarceration of sexual assault perpetrators can prevent perpetrators 
        from committing additional crimes;
Whereas national, State, territorial, and tribal coalitions, community-based 
        rape crisis centers, and other organizations across the United States 
        are committed to--

    (1) increasing public awareness of sexual violence and the prevalence 
of sexual violence; and

    (2) eliminating sexual violence through prevention and education;

Whereas important partnerships have been formed among criminal and juvenile 
        justice agencies, health professionals, public health workers, 
        educators, first responders, and victim service providers;
Whereas thousands of volunteers and staff at rape crisis centers, State 
        coalitions against sexual assault, and nonprofit organizations across 
        the United States play an important role in making crisis hotlines and 
        other services available to survivors of sexual assault;
Whereas free, confidential help is available to all victims and survivors of 
        sexual assault through--

    (1) the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE and 
online.rainn.org); and

    (2) more than 1,000 sexual assault service providers across the United 
States;

Whereas the DoD Safe Helpline, Safe HelpRoom, and Safe Helpline mobile app each 
        provide support and help to members of the Department of Defense 
        community--

    (1) by telephone at 877-995-5247; and

    (2) online at SafeHelpline.org;

Whereas individual and collective efforts reflect the dream of the people of the 
        United States--

    (1) for individuals and organizations to actively work to prevent all 
forms of sexual violence; and

    (2) for no sexual assault victim to be unserved or feel that there is 
no path to justice; and

Whereas April 2017 is recognized as ``National Sexual Assault Awareness Month'': 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) it is the sense of the Senate that--
                    (A) National Sexual Assault Awareness Month 
                provides a special opportunity to educate the people of 
                the United States about sexual violence and to 
                encourage the prevention of sexual assault, improvement 
                in the treatment of survivors of sexual assault, and 
                the prosecution of perpetrators of sexual assault;
                    (B) it is appropriate to properly acknowledge 
                survivors of sexual assault and to commend the 
                volunteers and professionals who assist those survivors 
                in their efforts to heal;
                    (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 
                survivors of sexual assault, and increasing the number 
                of successful prosecutions of perpetrators of sexual 
                assault; and
                    (D) public safety, law enforcement, and health 
                professionals should be recognized and applauded for 
                their hard work and innovative strategies to ensure 
                perpetrators of sexual assault are held accountable; 
                and
            (2) the Senate supports the goals and ideals of National 
        Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
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