[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 528 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 528

    Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking by 
   designating January 2024 as ``National Stalking Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 18, 2024

 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Hirono, and 
 Ms. Butler) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking by 
   designating January 2024 as ``National Stalking Awareness Month''.

Whereas approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the United States, at some 
        point during their lifetimes, have experienced stalking victimization, 
        causing them to feel fearful, threatened, or concerned for their own 
        safety or the safety of others;
Whereas it is estimated that, each year, more than 13,400,000 individuals in the 
        United States report that they have been victims of stalking;
Whereas more than 85 percent of victims of stalking report that they have been 
        stalked by someone they know;
Whereas nearly 70 percent of intimate partner stalking victims are threatened 
        with physical harm by stalkers;
Whereas stalking is a risk factor for intimate partner homicide;
Whereas 3 in 4 female victims of intimate partner homicides were stalked during 
        the year preceding the homicide by their killers;
Whereas 11 percent of victims of stalking report having been stalked for 5 or 
        more years;
Whereas two-thirds of stalkers pursue their victims at least once a week;
Whereas many victims of stalking are forced to take drastic measures to protect 
        themselves, including relocating, changing jobs, or obtaining protection 
        orders;
Whereas the prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe 
        depression is much higher among victims of stalking than the general 
        population;
Whereas many victims of stalking do not report stalking to the police or contact 
        a victim service provider, shelter, or hotline;
Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law, the laws of all 50 States, the 
        District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States, and the 
        Uniform Code of Military Justice;
Whereas stalking affects victims of every race, age, culture, gender, sexual 
        orientation, physical and mental ability, and economic status;
Whereas national organizations, local victim service organizations, campuses, 
        prosecutor's offices, and police departments stand ready to assist 
        victims of stalking and are working diligently to develop effective and 
        innovative responses to stalking, including online stalking;
Whereas there is a need to improve the response of the criminal justice system 
        to stalking through more aggressive investigation and prosecution;
Whereas there is a need for an increase in the availability of victim services 
        across the United States, and those services must include programs 
        tailored to meet the needs of victims of stalking;
Whereas individuals between 18 and 24 years old experience the highest rates of 
        stalking victimization, and a majority of stalking victims report their 
        victimization first occurred before the age of 25;
Whereas among undergraduate college students who experience intimate partner 
        stalking, 40 percent also experience coercive control and 11 percent 
        experience physical assault from the same partner;
Whereas 32 percent of undergraduate college students who experience stalking are 
        also sexually assaulted;
Whereas college students with disabilities are twice as likely as college 
        students without disabilities to experience stalking;
Whereas there is a need for an effective response to stalking on each campus;
Whereas 80 percent of stalking victims report being stalked with technology, 
        such as phone calls, text messages, social media platforms, internet 
        posts, emails, and electronic tracking;
Whereas victims of technology-facilitated stalking often report as much fear as 
        victims who experience in-person stalking, and are just as concerned for 
        their safety;
Whereas January 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the first ``National Stalking 
        Awareness Month''; and
Whereas the Senate finds that ``National Stalking Awareness Month'' provides an 
        opportunity to educate the people of the United States about stalking: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates January 2024 as ``National Stalking 
        Awareness Month'';
            (2) applauds the efforts of service providers, police 
        departments, prosecutor's offices, national and community 
        organizations, colleges and universities, and private sector 
        entities that combat stalking, support victims, and bring 
        awareness to this crime;
            (3) encourages policymakers, criminal justice officials, 
        victim service and human service agencies, institutions of 
        higher education, and nonprofit organizations to increase 
        awareness of stalking and continue to support the availability 
        of services for victims of stalking; and
            (4) urges national and community organizations, businesses 
        in the private sector, and the media to promote awareness of 
        the crime of stalking through ``National Stalking Awareness 
        Month''.
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