IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 817 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness 
Month and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in 
the United States and its devastating effects on families and commu-
nities, and support programs designed to end domestic violence. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 8, 2009 
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas (for himself, Mr. ALTMIRE, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. 
BERKLEY, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. 
BRALEY of Iowa, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. 
CLEAVER, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COSTA, Mrs. 
DAHLKEMPER, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. EDWARDS of 
Maryland, Mr. FILNER, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. 
BURTON of Indiana, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. 
GENE GREEN of Texas, Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. INS-
LEE, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. KILROY, Mr. 
LARSEN of Washington, Mrs. MALONEY, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 
Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. 
MICHAUD, Mr. MINNICK, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Ms. MOORE of Wis-
consin, Mr. NADLER of New York, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, 
Mr. REYES, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. SPRATT, and Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Vio-
lence Awareness Month and expressing the sense of the 
House of Representatives that Congress should continue 
to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United 
States and its devastating effects on families and com-
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•HRES 817 IH 
munities, and support programs designed to end domes-
tic violence. 
Whereas domestic violence affects people of all ages as well 
as racial, ethnic, gender, economic, and religious back-
grounds; 
Whereas females are disproportionately victims and one in 
four women will experience domestic violence at some 
point in her life; 
Whereas on average, more than three women are murdered 
by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States 
every day; 
Whereas in 2005, 1,181 women were murdered by an inti-
mate partner constituting 78 percent of all intimate part-
ner 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 life-
times; 
Whereas the cost of intimate partner violence exceeds 
$5,800,000,000 each year, $4,100,000 of which is for di-
rect medical and mental health care services; 
Whereas one-quarter to one-half of domestic violence victims 
report that they have lost a job due, at least in part, to 
domestic violence; 
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•HRES 817 IH 
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 do-
mestic violence for seeking help after a domestic violence 
incident, such as by calling 911, or who have other indi-
cations 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 chil-
dren were almost four 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 rela-
tionship report being hit or hurt by their partners and 
one in four teenage girls has been in a relationship in 
which she was pressured by her partner into performing 
sexual acts; 
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•HRES 817 IH 
Whereas adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 
60 percent more likely to report one or more suicide at-
tempts 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, dat-
ing 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 conclu-
sively that the Nation’s domestic violence shelters are ad-
dressing 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 vio-
lence shelters and programs around the Nation in a sin-
gle 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 recog-
nized: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National 
Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and 
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•HRES 817 IH 
(2) expresses the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that Congress should continue to raise 
awareness of domestic violence in the United States 
and its devastating effects on families and commu-
nities, and support programs designed to end domes-
tic violence. 
Æ 
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