[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5550-S5551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 465--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF 
 NOVEMBER 20, 2023, THROUGH DECEMBER 20, 2023, AS ``NATIONAL SURVIVORS 
                 OF HOMICIDE VICTIMS AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. MARKEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary.:

                              S. Res. 465

       Whereas the United States faces a national public health 
     crisis of gun violence;
       Whereas, on average, more than 13,000 homicides each year 
     continue to rob families and communities of loved ones;
       Whereas homicides increased by 30 percent in 2020, 
     compounding the many deaths caused by COVID-19;
       Whereas for every 1 homicide victim, there are at least 10 
     surviving family members, and the number of survivors of 
     homicide victims grows exponentially each year as they 
     navigate life after the tragic loss of their loved one;
       Whereas homicide victims are loved and grieved by family 
     members, friends, neighbors, classmates, colleagues, and 
     communities across the country;
       Whereas, in the United States, almost 1 in 4 Black 
     American, Hispanic, or Latinx adults report having lost a 
     loved one to gun-related homicide;
       Whereas losing a loved one to homicide is one of the most 
     traumatic events a person can experience;
       Whereas, in the United States, homicide is the leading 
     cause of death among Black Americans between the ages of 12-
     19 and the second leading cause of death for teenagers 
     nationwide;
       Whereas more than \1/2\ of women who are victims of 
     homicides are killed because of intimate partner violence;
       Whereas 40 percent of homicides in the United States go 
     unsolved;
       Whereas homicide results in chronic physical and behavioral 
     health consequences that carry significant behavioral and 
     economic burdens on families and communities impacted by 
     murder, trauma, grief, and loss;
       Whereas all families of homicide victims deserve to be 
     treated with dignity and compassion;
       Whereas surviving family members need holistic, 
     coordinated, compassionate, and consistent support and 
     services in the immediate aftermath of a homicide and ongoing 
     opportunities for healing in the months and years afterward;
       Whereas surviving family members want to remember and honor 
     their loved ones' lives regardless of the circumstances 
     surrounding their death;
       Whereas survivors of homicide victims are transforming 
     their pain into purpose by informing, influencing, and 
     impacting public policy, and working to create and sustain an 
     environment where all families can live in peace and all 
     people are valued;
       Whereas survivors, advocates, and providers are working 
     together to implement

[[Page S5551]]

     equitable and effective community-based responses to 
     homicide;
       Whereas the leadership of surviving family and community 
     members is essential to disrupting cycles of violence and 
     promoting peace in all communities; and
       Whereas recognition of the needs of survivors can help 
     combat trauma, foster healing, and inform joy for families 
     and communities impacted by homicide: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses support for the designation of November 20, 
     2023, through December 20, 2023, as ``National Survivors of 
     Homicide Victims Awareness Month'';
       (2) supports efforts to--
       (A) raise awareness of survivors of homicide victims;
       (B) support survivors of homicide victims, including 
     families, schools, and communities, with support services and 
     information; and
       (C) encourage research--
       (i) to better address the needs of families and communities 
     severely impacted by violence; and
       (ii) to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality 
     of, behavioral health services for survivors of homicide 
     victims; and
       (3) calls on the people of the United States, interest 
     groups, and affected persons--
       (A) to promote awareness of survivors of homicide victims;
       (B) to take an active role in the fight to end gun violence 
     and homicide;
       (C) to respond to all families suffering in the aftermath 
     of homicide with consistency, compassion, and competence and 
     by centering the principles of love, unity, faith, hope, 
     courage, justice, and forgiveness; and
       (D) to observe National Survivors of Homicide Victims 
     Awareness Month with appropriate activities.

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