IA 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. J. RES. 36
Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to raising awareness 
and encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the United States and 
supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness 
and Prevention Month. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2003
Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin (for himself and Mrs. MALONEY) introduced the fol-
lowing joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judi-
ciary 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to raising 
awareness and encouraging prevention of sexual assault 
in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals 
of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention 
Month.
Whereas every 2 minutes another person in the United States 
is sexually assaulted; 
Whereas the Department of Justice reports that 248,000 
people in the United States were sexually assaulted in 
2001; 
Whereas 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims 
of rape or attempted rape;
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Whereas children and young adults are most at risk, insofar 
as 44 percent of 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, and economic 
groups in the United States; 
Whereas less than 40 percent of victims pursue prosecution 
by reporting their attack to law enforcement agencies; 
Whereas 2⁄3 of sexual crimes are committed by someone who 
is not a stranger to the victim; 
Whereas the number of sexual assaults has fallen by 1⁄2 in 
the last decade; 
Whereas because of recent advances in DNA technology, law 
enforcement agencies have the potential to identify the 
rapist in tens of thousands of unsolved cases; 
Whereas aggressive prosecution can incarcerate rapists and 
therefore prevent them from committing further crimes; 
Whereas sexual assault victims suffer emotional scars long 
after the physical scars have healed; and 
Whereas free, confidential help is available to all victims of 
sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault Hot-
line, more than 1,000 rape crisis centers across the 
United States, and other organizations providing services 
to assist victims of sexual assault: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
That —
(1) it is the sense of the Congress that—
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(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 
both the prevention of sexual assault and the 
prosecution of its perpetrators; 
(B) it is appropriate to salute the more 
than 20,000,000 victims who have survived sex-
ual assault in the United States and the efforts 
of victims, volunteers, and professionals who 
combat sexual assault; 
(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 victims, 
and encouraging the increased prosecution and 
punishment of its perpetrators; 
(D) police, forensic workers, and prosecu-
tors should be recognized and applauded for 
their hard work and innovative strategies to in-
crease the percentage of sexual assault cases 
that resolve in the prosecution and incarcer-
ation of the offenders; and
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(E) national and community organizations, 
businesses in the private sector, and the media 
are urged, through National Sexual Assault 
Awareness and Prevention Month, to promote 
awareness of sexual violence and strategies to 
decrease the incidence of sexual assault; and 
(2) the Congress supports the goals and ideals 
of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Preven-
tion Month.
Æ