[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3864-S3865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 72--DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF APRIL AS ``NATIONAL 
                    SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
Jeffords, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Dodd, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Biden, Mr. 
Inhofe, Mr. Reid, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Graham, 
Mr. Bingaman, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Daschle, 
Mr. Levin, Mr. Baucus, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Sarbanes, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Wellstone, Mr. 
Kennedy, and Mr. Bayh) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                               S. Res. 72

       Whereas non-stranger and stranger rape and sexual assault 
     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 Senate--

[[Page S3865]]

       (1) designates the month of April 2001, as ``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 that the President of the United States issue 
     a proclamation calling on the people of the United States and 
     interested groups to observe ``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.

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