III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 753 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness 

Month. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 22 (legislative day, OCTOBER 19), 2020 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Ms. MURKOWSKI) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic 

Violence Awareness Month. 

Whereas, according to the National Intimate Partner and 

Sexual Violence Survey— 

(1) up to 12,000,000 individuals in the United 

States report experiencing intimate partner violence annually, including physical violence, rape, or stalking; and 

(2) approximately 1 in 5 women in the United 

States and up to 1 in 7 men in the United States have 

experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetimes; 

Whereas, on average, 3 women in the United States are killed 

each day by a current or former intimate partner, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics; 


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Whereas domestic violence can affect anyone, but women who 

are 18 to 34 years of age typically experience the highest 

rates of domestic violence; 

Whereas survivors of domestic violence are strong, courageous, and resilient; 

Whereas most female victims of intimate partner violence 

have been victimized by the same offender previously; 

Whereas domestic violence is cited as a significant factor in 

homelessness among families; 

Whereas millions of children are exposed to domestic violence 

each year; 

Whereas research shows that boys who are exposed to domestic violence in their households are more likely to become 

perpetrators of intimate partner violence; 

Whereas victims of domestic violence experience immediate 

and long-term negative outcomes, including detrimental 

effects on mental and physical health; 

Whereas research consistently shows that being abused by an 

intimate partner increases an individual’s likelihood of 

substance use as well as associated harmful consequences; 

Whereas victims of domestic violence may lose several days 

of paid work each year and may lose their jobs due to 

reasons stemming from domestic violence; 

Whereas crisis hotlines serving domestic violence victims operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, and offer important crisis intervention services, support services, information, and referrals for victims; 

Whereas staff and volunteers of domestic violence shelters 

and programs in the United States, in cooperation with 


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56 State and territorial coalitions against domestic violence, provide essential services to— 

(1) thousands of adults and children each day; and 

(2) 1,000,000 adults and children each year; 

Whereas more than 160 States, counties, and cities have experienced an increase in reports of domestic violence during the COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic increases the isolation of 

survivors of domestic violence and that isolation is being 

used as a tool by abusers to exert power and coercive 

control; 

Whereas domestic violence programs and hotlines have seen 

a substantial increase in contacts since the beginning of 

the COVID–19 pandemic and are expecting a surge in 

requests for services when social distancing is no longer 

necessary; 

Whereas local YWCAs shared that between March 31, 2020, 

and late summer 2020, as a result of the impact from 

the COVID–19 pandemic— 

(1) 69 percent of respondent YWCAs that operate 

domestic violence hotlines reported an increase in demand 

for services; and 

(2) 64 percent of nearly 100 local YWCAs who provide domestic violence services (either emergency shelter 

or transitional housing) reported an increase in demand 

for domestic violence shelter; 

Whereas while violence as a lived experience of American Indian and Alaska Native women exists in less pressing 

times, the COVID–19 pandemic has increased the challenges and barriers to accessing safety by exacerbating 

already existing issues including— 


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(1) lack of safe housing for victims; 

(2) lack of space in shelters for victims to maintain 

safe social distancing; 

(3) lack of personal protective equipment for staff of 

tribal shelters and victim services programs; 

(4) limited transportation for victims; and 

(5) lack of access to adequate health care; 

Whereas respondents to a survey of domestic violence programs reported that survivors of domestic violence are 

facing financial challenges related to COVID–19 and 

three quarters of those respondents reported that survivors are having trouble accessing food, and more than 

half of those respondents have reported that survivors 

cannot pay their bills; 

Whereas medical professionals have reported that survivors of 

domestic violence are presenting with more severe injuries 

during the pandemic; 

Whereas domestic violence programs are having to change the 

way they provide services in response to the COVID–19 

pandemic; 

Whereas advocates for survivors of domestic violence and survivors face the same challenges with childcare and facilitating online learning that others do; 

Whereas, according to a 2019 survey conducted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence, 77,226 domestic violence victims were served by domestic violence shelters and programs around the United States in a single 

day; 

Whereas non-citizen victims of domestic violence report 

heightened concerns with accessing law enforcement and 


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services due to uncertainty arising from changing immigration policies and heightened immigration enforcement; 

Whereas law enforcement officers in the United States put 

their lives at risk each day by responding to incidents of 

domestic violence, which can be among the most volatile 

and deadly calls; 

Whereas Congress first demonstrated a significant commitment to supporting victims of domestic violence with the 

enactment of the landmark Family Violence Prevention 

and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.); 

Whereas Congress has remained committed to protecting survivors of all forms of domestic violence and sexual abuse 

by making Federal funding available to support the activities that are authorized under— 

(1) the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act 

(42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.); and 

(2) the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 

U.S.C. 12291 et seq.); 

Whereas there is a need to continue to support programs and 

activities aimed at domestic violence intervention and domestic violence prevention in the United States; 

Whereas domestic violence programs provide trauma-informed services to protect the safety, privacy, and confidentiality of survivors of domestic violence; and 

Whereas individuals and organizations that are dedicated to 

preventing and ending domestic violence should be recognized: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Senate— 


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1 (A) supports the goals and ideals of ‘‘Na2 tional Domestic Violence Awareness Month’’; 

3 (B) commends domestic violence victim ad4 vocates, domestic violence victim service pro5 viders, crisis hotline staff, and first responders 

6 serving victims of domestic violence, for their 

7 compassionate support of survivors of domestic 

8 violence; and 

9 (C) recognizes the impact of the COVID– 

10 19 pandemic on advocates for survivors of do11 mestic violence and survivors; and 

12 (2) it is the sense of the Senate that Congress 

13 should— 

14 (A) continue to raise awareness of— 

15 (i) domestic violence in the United 

16 States; and 

17 (ii) the corresponding devastating ef18 fects of domestic violence on survivors, 

19 families, and communities; and 

20 (B) pledge continued support for programs 

21 designed to— 

22 (i) assist survivors of domestic vio23 lence; 

24 (ii) hold perpetrators of domestic vio25 lence accountable; and 


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1 (iii) bring an end to domestic violence. 

Æ 


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