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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 317 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 317

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness 
   Month and expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should 
 continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States 
 and its devastating effects on families and communities, and support 
              programs designed to end domestic violence.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 21, 2009

  Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. 
  Gillibrand, Mr. Crapo, Ms. Collins, Mr. Specter, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. 
Stabenow, Mr. Kaufman, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Burris) 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 and expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should 
 continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States 
 and its devastating effects on families and communities, and support 
              programs designed to end domestic violence.

Whereas the President has designated October 2009 as ``National Domestic 
        Violence Awareness Month'';
Whereas domestic violence affects people of all ages as well as racial, ethnic, 
        gender, economic, and religious backgrounds;
Whereas females are disproportionately victims of domestic violence, and 1 in 4 
        women will experience domestic violence at some point in her life;
Whereas on average, more than 3 women are murdered by their husbands or 
        boyfriends in the United States every day;
Whereas in 2005, 1,181 women were murdered by an intimate partner, constituting 
        78 percent of all intimate partner homicides that year;
Whereas a 2001 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 
        that female intimate partners are more likely to be murdered with a 
        firearm than all other means combined;
Whereas women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates, per capita, of 
        intimate partner violence;
Whereas 1 out of 3 Native American women will be raped and 6 out of 10 will be 
        physically assaulted in their lifetimes;
Whereas the cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5,800,000,000 each year, 
        $4,100,000 of which is for direct medical and mental health care 
        services;
Whereas \1/4\ to \1/2\ of domestic violence victims report that they have lost a 
        job due, at least in part, to domestic violence;
Whereas the annual cost of lost productivity due to domestic violence is 
        estimated at $727,800,000 with over 7,900,000 paid workdays lost per 
        year;
Whereas some landlords deny housing to victims of domestic violence who have 
        protection orders or evict victims of domestic violence for seeking help 
        after a domestic violence incident, such as by calling 911, or who have 
        other indications that they are domestic violence victims;
Whereas 92 percent of homeless women experience severe physical or sexual abuse 
        at some point in their lifetimes;
Whereas approximately 40 to 60 percent of men who abuse women also abuse 
        children;
Whereas approximately 15,500,000 children are exposed to domestic violence every 
        year;
Whereas children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to attempt 
        suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, and engage in 
        teenage prostitution;
Whereas one large study found that men exposed to physical abuse, sexual abuse, 
        and adult domestic violence as children were almost 4 times more likely 
        than other men to have perpetrated domestic violence as adults;
Whereas nearly 1,500,000 high school students nationwide experienced physical 
        abuse from a dating partner in a single year;
Whereas 13 percent of teenage girls who have been in a relationship report being 
        hit or hurt by their partners and 1 in 4 teenage girls has been in a 
        relationship in which she was pressured by her partner into performing 
        sexual acts;
Whereas adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 60 percent more 
        likely to report one or more suicide attempts in the past year;
Whereas there is a need for middle schools, secondary schools, and post-
        secondary schools to educate students about the issues of domestic 
        violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking;
Whereas 88 percent of men in a national poll reported that they think that our 
        society should do more to respect women and girls;
Whereas a recently released multi-State study shows conclusively that the 
        Nation's domestic violence shelters are addressing victims' urgent and 
        long-term needs and are helping victims protect themselves and their 
        children;
Whereas a 2008 National Census Survey reported that 60,799 adults and children 
        were served by domestic violence shelters and programs around the Nation 
        in a single day;
Whereas those same understaffed programs were unable to meet 8,927 requests for 
        help that day;
Whereas there is a need to increase funding for programs aimed at intervening 
        and preventing domestic violence in the United States; and
Whereas individuals and organizations that are dedicated to preventing and 
        ending domestic violence should be recognized: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic 
        Violence Awareness Month; and
            (2) expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should 
        continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United 
        States and its devastating effects on families and communities, 
        and support programs designed to end domestic violence.
                                 <all>
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