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107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 72

 Designating the month of April as ``National Sexual Assault Awareness 
                                Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 24, 2001

   Mr. Specter (for himself, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
  Jeffords, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Dodd, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Biden, Mr. 
Inhofe, Mr. Reid, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Graham, 
 Mr. Bingaman, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Daschle, 
 Mr. Levin, Mr. Baucus, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
 Sarbanes, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Wellstone, Mr. 
 Kennedy, and Mr. Bayh) submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Designating the month of April as ``National Sexual Assault Awareness 
                                Month''.

Whereas non-stranger and stranger rape and sexual assault affects women, 
        children, and men of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds;
Whereas women, children, and men suffer multiple types of sexual violence;
Whereas the Department of Justice reports that a sexual assault occurs every 90 
        seconds;
Whereas it is estimated by the Bureau of Justice Statistics that over 70 percent 
        of rapes are never reported to the police;
Whereas in addition to the immediate physical and emotional costs, sexual 
        assault may also have associated consequences of post-traumatic stress 
        disorder, substance abuse, major depression, homelessness, eating 
        disorders, and suicide;
Whereas it is important to recognize the compassion and dedication of the 
        individuals who provide services to survivors and work to increase the 
        public understanding of this significant problem;
Whereas State coalitions and local rape crisis centers across the Nation are 
        committed to increasing public awareness of sexual violence and its 
        prevalence and to eliminating it through education;
Whereas important partnerships have been formed among criminal and juvenile 
        justice agencies, allied professionals, and victim services;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified sexual 
        assault as a significant, costly, and preventable health issue; and
Whereas the United States Government has expressed a commitment to eliminating 
        sexual violence in society with various legislative actions and 
        appropriations, including the Violence Against Women Act, Grants to 
        Combat Violence Against Women on Campus, and through projects of the 
        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the month of April 2001, as ``National 
        Sexual Assault Awareness Month'';
            (2) encourages individual and collective efforts that 
        reflect the vision of a Nation where no sexual assault victim 
        goes un-served or ever feels there is no path to justice and 
        where citizens work toward eliminating all forms of sexual 
        violence; and
            (3) requests that the President of the United States issue 
        a proclamation calling on the people of the United States and 
        interested groups to observe ``National Sexual Assault 
        Awareness Month'' with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and 
        programs to reflect the commitment to eliminating sexual 
        violence from society and to acknowledge the work of 
        organizations and individuals against sexual violence.
                                 &lt;all&gt;

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