[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 5, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60253-60255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21786]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 192 / Wednesday, October 5, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 60253]]


                Proclamation 10461 of September 30, 2022

                
National Domestic Violence Awareness and 
                Prevention Month, 2022

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                While our Nation has made significant progress in 
                addressing domestic violence by responding to the 
                stories and leadership of courageous survivors, as well 
                as through advocacy and legislative action, domestic 
                violence nonetheless remains all too common in America. 
                During National Domestic Violence Awareness and 
                Prevention Month, we continue to shine a light on the 
                causes of this scourge, strengthen the ability of 
                Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local 
                officials to take action, and call on all communities 
                to strengthen prevention efforts. My Administration is 
                working to ensure that all survivors have access to 
                justice and the support they need for their healing and 
                well-being.

                When I introduced the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 
                in the Senate in 1990 with the support of many members 
                of the Congress and community advocates, we began to 
                bring these cases of abuse out of the shadows. For too 
                long, few in this country were willing to call domestic 
                violence a national epidemic. VAWA increased survivors' 
                access to services and support, empowered Federal law 
                enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable, and 
                enhanced the enforcement of protection orders across 
                State lines. In March of this year, I was proud to sign 
                the VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which 
                extends all current VAWA grant programs until 2027 and 
                increases services and support for all survivors, 
                including by strengthening access to services for 
                survivors from underserved or marginalized communities. 
                It also enhances evidence-based, trauma-informed 
                trainings for law enforcement officers involved in 
                assisting victims and investigating these crimes.

                While we know that VAWA is making a significant 
                difference, we also know that much work still remains. 
                Millions of women and men are impacted by some form of 
                intimate partner abuse each year. Domestic violence can 
                cause injury, fear, post-traumatic stress disorder, 
                housing insecurity, missed school or work, and other 
                devastating consequences. Historically underserved 
                populations, including LGBTQI+ survivors, persons with 
                disabilities, immigrants, racial and ethnic minorities, 
                and American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native 
                Hawaiians face some of the highest rates of domestic 
                and sexual violence, along with additional barriers to 
                safety and support. The effects of this epidemic 
                stretch well beyond the home, impacting extended 
                families, schools, and the workplace.

                Over the past three decades, I have continued this 
                commitment to preventing and addressing domestic 
                violence and all forms of gender-based violence. To 
                strengthen our support for victims during the pandemic, 
                when we saw a rise in domestic violence as survivors 
                experienced increased isolation, economic insecurity, 
                and barriers to accessing help, my Administration 
                increased funding for shelters and supportive service 
                providers and offered targeted resources to culturally-
                specific, community-based organizations that address 
                the needs of survivors in marginalized communities. In 
                total, we have invested nearly $1 billion in 
                supplemental funding from our American Rescue Plan to 
                bolster these programs.

[[Page 60254]]

                I also created the White House Gender Policy Council 
                and called for the development of the first-ever 
                Government-wide National Action Plan to End Gender-
                Based Violence, as well as updates to the 2016 United 
                States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based 
                Violence Globally. These strategies will provide a 
                roadmap to guide my Administration's whole-of-
                government effort to end domestic violence, sexual 
                assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.

                My efforts did not stop there. Last year, I signed the 
                National Defense Authorization Act to fundamentally 
                shift how the military investigates and prosecutes 
                domestic violence, sexual assault, and related crimes. 
                I also issued an Executive Order to implement important 
                reforms to the military code. We owe it to those who 
                bravely wear our Nation's uniform to improve support 
                for survivors and expand prevention of all forms of 
                gender-based violence.

                In July, I signed the Safer Communities Act and 
                provided significant resources for States to implement 
                extreme risk protection order laws and also expanded 
                measures to prevent abusers convicted of assaulting 
                their current or former dating partners from buying or 
                owning guns. Millions of women across America report 
                being threatened with a gun by an intimate partner, and 
                evidence suggests that when a gun is present, the risk 
                of death from domestic violence is five times greater. 
                Additionally, because cyberstalking, sextortion, and 
                other forms of intimate partner violence involving 
                technology are becoming increasingly common, we 
                established a new White House Task Force to Address 
                Online Harassment and Abuse and expanded efforts to 
                prevent and address these harms.

                As we continue the essential work of ending domestic 
                violence, we can all help build a culture where abuse 
                is not tolerated and where survivors are heard, 
                supported, and protected. We can express our gratitude 
                to the remarkable people and organizations that offer 
                care and critical services to survivors of domestic 
                violence, and we must remain committed to building a 
                better world where all people can feel safe and 
                respected and live free from abuse.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2022 
                as National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention 
                Month. I call on all Americans to speak out against 
                domestic violence and support efforts to educate all 
                people about healthy relationships centered on respect; 
                support victims and survivors in your own families and 
                networks; and support the efforts of victim advocates, 
                service providers, health care providers, and the legal 
                system, as well as the leadership of survivors, in 
                working to end domestic violence.

[[Page 60255]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2022-21786
Filed 10-4-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P