IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 269 

Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault 

Awareness and Prevention Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2017 

Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. FOSTER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. CLARK of 

Massachusetts, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. NORTON, Mr. YARMUTH, Ms. 

MCCOLLUM, Mr. MEEHAN, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. SOTO, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. 

COSTA, Mr. COOK, Mr. COHEN, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. MCEACHIN, Ms. 

ROSEN, Mr. POE of Texas, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. 

POCAN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. 

SWALWELL of California, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. 

MOULTON, Ms. JENKINS of Kansas, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. 

CICILLINE, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Ms. BROWNLEY

of California, Mr. KIND, Mr. RUSH, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. 

RASKIN, Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California, Mrs. DEMINGS, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania, Mr. KEATING, Mr. KATKO, Mr. 

JOYCE of Ohio, Mr. FASO, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 

COFFMAN, and Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National 

Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. 

Whereas on average, an individual is sexually assaulted in the 

United States every 98 seconds, according to the Rape, 

Abuse and Incest National Network; 


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Whereas on average, there are 321,500 rapes and sexual assaults each year in the United States, according to the 

Department of Justice; 

Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, nearly 1 in 5 women (or 18.3 percent) and 

1 in 71 men (or 1.4 percent) surveyed in the United 

States in 2010 experienced a rape or attempted rape at 

some time in their lives; 

Whereas sexual violence affects many individuals who serve 

the United States, and the RAND Corporation estimates 

that approximately 20,300 members of the United States 

Armed Forces experienced sexual assault in fiscal year 

2014; 

Whereas children and young adults are at significant risk of 

sexual assault, up to 44 percent of sexual assault victims 

are under 18 years of age, and the majority of sexual assault victims are under 30 years of age; 

Whereas sexual assault affects women, men, and children of 

all racial, social, religious, age, ethnic, and socioeconomic 

groups in the United States; 

Whereas sexual violence may take many forms, including acquaintance, stranger, spousal, and gang rape, incest, 

child sexual abuse, commercial sex trafficking, sexual 

harassment, and stalking; 

Whereas in addition to the immediate physical and emotional 

costs of sexual assault, sexual assault has numerous adverse consequences, which can include post-traumatic 

stress disorder, substance abuse, major depression, homelessness, eating disorders, and suicide, according to the 

National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; 


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Whereas many sexual assaults are not reported to law enforcement agencies and many States have restrictive 

criminal statutes of limitations, which enables many rapists to evade punishment for their crimes; 

Whereas approximately 70 percent of sexual crimes are committed by individuals who are known to the victim; 

Whereas sexual assault survivors suffer emotional scars long 

after the physical scars have healed; 

Whereas DNA technology has enabled perpetrators to be 

identified and prosecuted in many rape cases; 

Whereas prosecution can lead to the incarceration of rapists 

and prevent those individuals from committing additional 

crimes; 

Whereas national, State, territorial, and tribal coalitions, 

community-based rape crisis centers, and other organizations across the United States are committed to— 

(1) serving survivors of sexual violence; 

(2) eliminating sexual violence through prevention 

and education; and 

(3) increasing public awareness of sexual violence 

and the prevalence of sexual violence; 

Whereas according to the National Alliance to End Sexual 

Violence, 53 percent of rape crisis centers have a waiting 

list for counseling services and rely on Federal, State and 

local funding sources to provide services to survivors and 

prevention activities in their communities; 

Whereas student survivors in K–12 and postsecondary education need access to accommodations and support and 

schools have a responsibility to respond to and prevent 

sexual violence; 


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Whereas important partnerships have been formed among 

criminal and juvenile justice agencies, health professionals, public health workers, educators, first responders, and victim service providers; 

Whereas thousands of volunteers and staff at rape crisis centers, State coalitions against sexual assault, and nonprofit organizations across the United States play an important role in making crisis hotlines and other services 

available to survivors of sexual assault; 

Whereas free, confidential help is available to all victims and 

survivors of sexual assault through— 

(1) the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800–656– 

HOPE and online.rainn.org); and 

(2) more than 1,000 sexual assault service providers 

across the United States; 

Whereas the DoD Safe Helpline, Safe HelpRoom, and Safe 

Helpline mobile app each provide support and help to 

members of the Department of Defense community— 

(1) by telephone at 877–995–5247; and 

(2) online at SafeHelpline.org; 

Whereas individual and collective efforts reflect the dream of 

the people of the United States— 

(1) for individuals and organizations to actively work 

to prevent all forms of sexual violence; and 

(2) for no sexual assault victim to be unserved or 

feel that there is no path to justice; and 

Whereas April 2017, is recognized as ‘‘National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month’’: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That— 


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1 (1) it is the sense of the House of Representa2 tives that— 

3 (A) National Sexual Assault Awareness 

4 and Prevention Month provides a special oppor5 tunity to educate the people of the United 

6 States about sexual violence and to encourage 

7 sexual assault prevention programs, improve 

8 the treatment of and services to survivors of 

9 sexual assault, and the prosecution of perpetra10 tors; 

11 (B) it is appropriate to properly acknowl12 edge survivors of sexual assault and to com13 mend the volunteers and professionals who as14 sist those survivors in their efforts to heal; 

15 (C) national and community organizations 

16 and private sector supporters should be recog17 nized and applauded for their work in pro18 moting awareness about sexual assault, pro19 viding information and treatment to survivors 

20 of sexual assault, and increasing the number of 

21 successful prosecutions of perpetrators of sexual 

22 assault; and 

23 (D) public safety, law enforcement, and 

24 health professionals should be recognized and 

25 applauded for their hard work and innovative 


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1 strategies to ensure perpetrators of sexual as2 sault are held accountable; and 

3 (2) the House of Representatives supports the 

4 goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Aware5 ness and Prevention Month. 

Æ 


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