[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 40 (Monday, October 7, 1996)]
[Pages 1960-1961]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6927--National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 1996

October 3, 1996

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Domestic violence threatens the very core of what we hold dear. 
Millions of women and children throughout our nation are plagued by the 
terror of family violence each year, and approximately 20 percent of all 
hospital emergency room visits by women result from such violence. 
Family violence is a crime that transcends race, religion, ethnicity, 
and economic stature, and one of its greatest tragedies is its effect on 
our young people: as many as 3 million children witness violence in 
their homes each year.
    We must never give up in our efforts to transform despair into hope 
for the women and families across this country who suffer violence at 
home. We must encourage all Americans to increase public awareness and 
understanding of domestic abuse as well as the needs of its victims. My 
Administration is fully engaged in this struggle, coordinating our 
efforts through the Violence Against

[[Page 1961]]

Women Office at the Department of Justice and through the Department of 
Health and Human Services.
    Legislation enacted during the past several years is also helping to 
overcome the scourge of domestic violence. The Violence Against Women 
Act that I signed into law has given law enforcement critical new tools 
with which to prosecute and punish criminals who intentionally prey upon 
women and children. The Interstate Stalking Punishment and Prevention 
Act of 1996, enacted just last month, makes it a Federal crime for any 
stalker to cross State lines to pursue a victim, whether or not there is 
a protection order in effect, whether or not an actual act of violence 
has been committed, and whether or not the stalker is the victim's 
spouse. And I am pleased that the Congress has just taken action to keep 
guns out of the hands of people with a history of domestic violence.
    My Administration has also worked to increase the support available 
for battered women and other victims of domestic violence, including the 
elderly. In February, I announced the creation of a 24-hour, toll-free 
National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-SAFE. The response to this 
service has been overwhelming, and the hotline has already received over 
50,000 calls--the majority from women and men who have never before 
reached out for assistance. This year, we will also provide increased 
and unprecedented resources for battered women's shelters, domestic 
violence prevention efforts, and children's counseling services.
    There is still much more to do, however. The welfare reform 
legislation that I recently signed recognizes the special needs of 
domestic violence victims, and I urge all States to accept the option of 
implementing the new law's Family Violence provisions. I have also 
directed the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department 
of Justice to develop guidance for States and assist them in 
implementing the provisions. As we help families move from welfare to 
work, we must ensure that they remain safe from violence in their homes 
and are given the support they need to achieve independence.
    As a result of these and other efforts at the national, State, and 
local levels, we are one step closer to eliminating domestic violence 
and building in its place a brighter, more secure future for our 
families and loved ones. I salute all those whose efforts are helping us 
in this endeavor and pay special tribute to the survivors of domestic 
violence whose courage is an inspiration to us all. I urge all Americans 
to join me in working toward the day when no person raises a hand in 
violence against a family member.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 
1996 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call upon all 
Americans to observe this month by demonstrating their respect and 
gratitude for all those individuals who unselfishly share their 
experiences, skills, and talents with those affected by domestic 
violence.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of 
October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of 
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-first.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:28 a.m., October 4, 
1996]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 
7.