IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1259 
Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of Sexual Assault Awareness 
Month. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 15, 2010 
Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mr. POE of Texas, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. 
MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN, Mr. COSTA, Mr. KEN-
NEDY, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. KIND, Ms. RICHARDSON, 
Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. KILROY, and Ms. GIFFORDS) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
the Judiciary 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of Sexual 
Assault Awareness Month. 
Whereas, on average, a person is sexually assaulted in the 
United States every 21⁄2 minutes; 
Whereas the Department of Justice reports that 203,830 
people in the United States were sexually assaulted in 
2008; 
Whereas 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims 
of rape or attempted rape; 
Whereas the Department of Defense received 2,908 reports 
of sexual assault involving members of the Armed Forces 
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•HRES 1259 IH 
in fiscal year 2008, representing an eight percent in-
crease from fiscal 2007; 
Whereas children and young adults are most at risk of sexual 
assault, as 44 percent of sexual assault victims are under 
the age of 18, and 80 percent are under the age of 30; 
Whereas sexual assault affects women, men, and children of 
all racial, social, religious, age, ethnic, ability, and eco-
nomic groups in the United States; 
Whereas women, children, and men suffer multiple types of 
sexual violence, including but not limited to acquaintance, 
stranger, spousal, and gang rape, incest, child sexual mo-
lestation, forced prostitution, trafficking, forced pornog-
raphy, ritual abuse, sexual harassment, and stalking; 
Whereas it is estimated that the percentage of completed or 
attempt rape victimization among women in higher edu-
cational institutions may be between 20 and 25 percent 
over the course of a college career; 
Whereas, in addition to the immediate physical and emotional 
costs, sexual assault has associated consequences that 
may include post-traumatic stress disorder, substance 
abuse, major depression, homelessness, eating disorders, 
and suicide, among others; 
Whereas only 41 percent of sexual assault victims pursue 
prosecution by reporting their attack to law enforcement 
agencies; 
Whereas two-thirds of sexual crimes are committed by per-
sons who are not strangers to the victims; 
Whereas sexual assault survivors suffer emotional scars long 
after the physical scars have healed; 
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•HRES 1259 IH 
Whereas, with recent advances in DNA technology, law en-
forcement agencies have the potential to identify the rap-
ists in tens of thousands of unsolved rape cases; 
Whereas aggressive prosecution can lead to the incarceration 
of rapists and therefore prevent them from committing 
further crimes; 
Whereas national, State, territory, and tribal coalitions, com-
munity-based rape crisis centers, and other organizations 
across the Nation are committed to increasing public 
awareness of sexual violence and its prevalence, and to 
eliminating it through prevention and education; 
Whereas important partnerships have been formed among 
criminal and juvenile justice agencies, health profes-
sionals, public health workers, educators, first respond-
ers, and victim service providers; 
Whereas free, confidential help is available to all survivors of 
sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault Hot-
line, more than 1,000 rape crisis centers across the 
United States, and other organizations that provide serv-
ices to assist survivors of sexual assault; 
Whereas, according to a 2010 survey of rape crisis centers 
by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, 72 per-
cent of programs have experienced a reduction in funding 
over the past year, 56 percent have experienced a reduc-
tion in staffing, 23 percent currently have a waiting list 
for services, and funding and staffing cuts have resulted 
in an overall 50 percent reduction in the provision of in-
stitutional advocacy services; 
Whereas individual and collective efforts reflect our dream for 
a Nation where citizens and organizations actively work 
to prevent all forms of sexual violence and no sexual as-
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•HRES 1259 IH 
sault victim goes unserved or ever feels there is no path 
to justice; and 
Whereas April is recognized as ‘‘National Sexual Assault 
Awareness and Prevention Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That— 
(1) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that— 
(A) National Sexual Assault Awareness 
and Prevention Month provides a special oppor-
tunity to educate the people of the United 
States about sexual violence and to encourage 
the prevention of sexual assault, the improved 
treatment of its survivors, and the prosecution 
of its perpetrators; 
(B) it is appropriate to properly acknowl-
edge the more than 20 million men and women 
who have survived sexual assault in the United 
States and salute the efforts of survivors, volun-
teers, and professionals who combat sexual as-
sault; 
(C) national and community organizations 
and private sector supporters should be recog-
nized and applauded for their work in pro-
moting awareness about sexual assault, pro-
viding information and treatment to its sur-
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