[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 3 (Thursday, January 5, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 743-744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00094]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 3 / Thursday, January 5, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 743]]


                Proclamation 10512 of December 30, 2022

                
National Stalking Awareness Month, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During National Stalking Awareness Month, we shine a 
                light on the insidious crime of stalking, recommit to 
                protecting survivors, and reaffirm that every American 
                deserves to live free from fear, intimidation, and 
                threats to their physical safety and emotional well-
                being.

                Studies show that more than 3 million people aged 16 or 
                older are victims of stalking on an annual basis in the 
                United States. Being stalked, whether in-person or 
                online, means having to worry about your safety at 
                work, at school, in public, and even at home. It can 
                mean having to uproot your life, leave your job, and 
                suffer physical and psychological harms. One of the 
                driving forces of my career has been fighting back 
                against abuses of power. That is why I was proud to 
                write and champion the groundbreaking Violence Against 
                Women Act (VAWA) as a United States Senator, landmark 
                legislation that first passed in 1994. In the nearly 
                three decades since, I have worked with Members of the 
                Congress from both parties to renew and strengthen VAWA 
                three times in 2000, 2005, and 2013. And I was proud to 
                sign its reauthorization this year. The 2022 
                reauthorization law increases resources and support for 
                law enforcement to investigate and prosecute stalkers 
                and offenders of gender-based violence. It extends 
                legal protections for survivors as well as access to 
                transitional housing when they flee unsafe homes. It 
                expands recognition of Tribal courts' jurisdiction over 
                non-Native perpetrators to include stalking, sexual 
                assault, child abuse, and sex trafficking. 
                Additionally, VAWA calls on the Attorney General to 
                develop a national strategy to address the rising rate 
                of cybercrimes, including cyberstalking.

                As President, I also created the White House Task Force 
                to Address Online Harassment and Abuse, which is co-
                chaired by the Gender Policy Council and the National 
                Security Council to expand on these efforts and 
                coordinate a Federal approach to preventing and 
                addressing technology-facilitated gender-based 
                violence. The taskforce is producing recommendations 
                for State governments, technology platforms, schools, 
                and other public and private entities to combat 
                cyberstalking and other online abuses. At the same 
                time, it is working closely with survivors, advocates, 
                and parents to promote the safety of communities most 
                impacted by online abuse, including women, girls, and 
                LGBTQI+ individuals.

                Cracking down on stalking and helping victims heal must 
                be a government-wide effort. Since I took office, the 
                Department of Justice has provided nearly $970 million 
                in grants to help victim service providers, law 
                enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and 
                community-based organizations prevent and address 
                domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating 
                violence. And the Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development has provided 70,000 emergency housing 
                vouchers to assist individuals and families who are 
                homeless or at-risk of homelessness, including victims 
                of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and 
                human trafficking. In June, I also signed the 
                Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law--the first 
                major bipartisan gun safety legislation in more than 30 
                years--which requires young people ages 18 to 21 to 
                undergo enhanced background checks, narrows

[[Page 744]]

                the ``boyfriend loophole'' to keep guns out of the 
                hands of dating partners convicted of misdemeanor 
                crimes of domestic violence, funds crisis intervention, 
                including red flag laws, and services to address the 
                trauma experienced by survivors of gun violence.

                It is essential that we bring these offenses out of the 
                shadows, making it unmistakably clear that violence, 
                displays of unwanted attention that cause someone to 
                fear for their safety or suffer substantial emotional 
                distress, and other abuses of power will not stand. 
                This month, let us strengthen stalking prevention 
                efforts, amplify the voices of survivors, and hold 
                stalkers accountable. We can--and must--advance a safer 
                and more just America for all.

                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 January 2023 
                as National Stalking Awareness Month. I call on all 
                Americans to speak out against stalking and to support 
                the efforts of advocates, courts, service providers, 
                and law enforcement to help those who are targeted and 
                send the message to perpetrators that these crimes will 
                not go unpunished.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of December, 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. 2023-00094
Filed 1-4-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P