Title: Supporting the goals and ideals of October as "National Domestic Violence Awareness Month" and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence and its devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities, and support programs designed to end domestic violence in the United States.
Policy area: Families

Summary:
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 594 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 594

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 31, 2017

Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself and Mr. Al Green of Texas) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
                           and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


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

Whereas females are disproportionately victims of domestic violence, as 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 women ages 18 to 24 experience the highest rates, per capita, of 
        intimate partner violence;
Whereas about 1 in 5 women who ever experience rape, physical violence, or 
        stalking by an intimate partner, first experienced some form of partner 
        violence between 11 and 17 years of age;
Whereas nearly 1 in 3 college women say they have been in an abusive dating 
        relationship;
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 of females killed with a firearm, almost two-thirds were killed by their 
        intimate partners;
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;
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 81 percent of women who are stalked by a current or former male partner 
        are also physically abused by that partner;
Whereas 99 percent of abusive relationships include financial abuse, causing the 
        survivors to stay or return to the abusive relationship;
Whereas more than 8,000,000 days of paid work each year are lost due to domestic 
        violence issues;
Whereas 96 percent of employed domestic violence victims experience problems at 
        work due to abuse;
Whereas 1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year and 
        90 percent of these children are eyewitnesses to violence;
Whereas at least 15,500,000 children live in families in which partner violence 
        occurred at least once in the past year;
Whereas children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to attempt 
        suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, and become a 
        victim of human trafficking;
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 1 in 10 high school students experienced physical violence from a dating 
        partner in the past year;
Whereas 13 percent of teenage girls who have been in a relationship report being 
        hit or hurt by their partners;
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 postsecondary 
        schools to educate students about the issues of domestic violence, 
        sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking;
Whereas a recently released multistate study shows 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 2016 National Census Survey reported that 72,959 violence victims were 
        served by domestic violence shelters and programs around the Nation in a 
        single day;
Whereas an additional 11,991 people requested help that day, but due to lack of 
        resources, they were unable to be served;
Whereas there is a need to increase funding for programs aimed at intervening 
        and preventing domestic violence in the United States; and
Whereas domestic shelters and programs experience increased demands for service, 
        80 percent report cuts in funding: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic 
        Violence Awareness Month; and
            (2) expresses the sense of the House of Representatives 
        that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic 
        violence and its devastating effects on individuals, families, 
        and communities, and support programs designed to end domestic 
        violence in the United States.
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