III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 480 

Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking by designating 

January 2020 as ‘‘National Stalking Awareness Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 21, 2020 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. HIRONO, 

Ms. HARRIS, Ms. ERNST, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. TILLIS, and Mr. 

CRAPO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

FEBRUARY 27, 2020 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking 

by designating January 2020 as ‘‘National Stalking 

Awareness Month’’. 

Whereas approximately 1 in 6 women in the United States, 

at some point during their lifetimes, have experienced 

stalking victimization, during which the women felt very 

fearful or believed that they or someone close to them 

would be harmed or killed; 

Whereas, during a 1-year period, an estimated 7,500,000 individuals in the United States reported that they had 

been victims of stalking; 


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SRES 480 IS 

Whereas more than 80 percent of victims of stalking reported 

that they had been stalked by someone they knew; 

Whereas nearly 70 percent of intimate partner stalking victims were threatened with physical harm by stalkers; 

Whereas 11 percent of victims of stalking reported having 

been stalked for more than 5 years; 

Whereas two-thirds of stalkers pursue their victims at least 

once a week; 

Whereas many victims of stalking are forced to take drastic 

measures to protect themselves, including relocating, 

changing jobs, or obtaining protection orders; 

Whereas the prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher among victims 

of stalking than the general population; 

Whereas many victims of stalking do not report stalking to 

the police or contact a victim service provider, shelter, or 

hotline; 

Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law and the laws 

of all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States; 

Whereas stalking affects victims of every race, age, culture, 

gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, 

and economic status; 

Whereas national organizations, local victim service organizations, campuses, prosecutor’s offices, and police departments stand ready to assist victims of stalking and are 

working diligently to develop effective and innovative responses to stalking, including online stalking; 


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SRES 480 IS 

Whereas there is a need to improve the response of the criminal justice system to stalking through more aggressive investigation and prosecution; 

Whereas there is a need for an increase in the availability of 

victim services across the United States, and the services 

must include programs tailored to meet the needs of victims of stalking; 

Whereas individuals 18 to 24 years old experience the highest 

rates of stalking victimization, and a majority of stalking 

victims report their victimization first occurred before the 

age of 25; 

Whereas up to 75 percent of women in college who experience 

behavior relating to stalking experience other forms of 

victimization, including sexual or physical victimization; 

Whereas there is a need for an effective response to stalking 

on each campus; and 

Whereas the Senate finds that ‘‘National Stalking Awareness 

Month’’ provides an opportunity to educate the people of 

the United States about stalking: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates January 2020 as ‘‘National 

3 Stalking Awareness Month’’; 

4 (2) applauds the efforts of service providers for 

5 victims of stalking, police, prosecutors, national and 

6 community organizations, campuses, and private sec7 tor supporters to promote awareness of stalking; 

8 (3) encourages policymakers, criminal justice 

9 officials, victim service and human service agencies, 


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SRES 480 IS 

1 institutions of higher education, and nonprofit orga2 nizations to increase awareness of stalking and con3 tinue to support the availability of services for vic4 tims of stalking; and 

5 (4) urges national and community organiza6 tions, businesses in the private sector, and the media 

7 to promote awareness of the crime of stalking 

8 through ‘‘National Stalking Awareness Month’’. 

Æ 


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