BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SCR 15
Author: Evans (D), et al.
Amended: 5/18/11
Vote: 21
SENATE FLOOR : 40-0, 4/25/11
AYES: Alquist, Anderson, Berryhill, Blakeslee, Calderon,
Cannella, Corbett, Correa, De León, DeSaulnier, Dutton,
Emmerson, Evans, Fuller, Gaines, Hancock, Harman,
Hernandez, Huff, Kehoe, La Malfa, Leno, Lieu, Liu,
Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Padilla, Pavley, Price, Rubio,
Runner, Simitian, Steinberg, Strickland, Vargas, Walters,
Wolk, Wright, Wyland, Yee
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 74-0, 8/18/11
SUBJECT : Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Denim Day
California
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution designates the month of April as
Sexual Assault Awareness Month, would recognize April 27,
2011, as Denim Day California, and encourages everyone to
wear jeans on that day to help communicate the message that
there is no excuse for, and never an invitation to, rape or
sexual assault.
Assembly Amendments (1) add coauthors, and (2) make
technical changes.
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ANALYSIS : This resolution states the following:
1. In 2009, California rape crisis centers provided direct
crisis intervention services to 28,993 individuals and
provided community education services for more than
150,000 people.
2. The American Medical Association has stated that a
"woman is raped every 46 seconds in the United States"
and that sexual assault is a "silent epidemic".
3. Women, children, and men are all victims of sexual
assault and it is estimated that one in three women, one
in four girls, one in six boys, and one in 11 men will
be victims at least once in their lifetimes.
4. Rape and sexual assault impacts women, children, and men
of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds.
5. Women, children, and men suffer multiple types of sexual
violence including acquaintance rape, stranger rape,
sexual assault by an intimate partner, gang rape,
incest, serial rape, ritual abuse, sexual harassment,
child sexual molestation, prostitution, pornography, and
stalking.
6. In addition to the immediate physical and emotional
costs, sexual assault may also have associated severe
and long-lasting consequences of post-traumatic stress
disorder, substance abuse, major depression,
homelessness, eating disorders, and suicide.
7. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
have identified sexual assault as a significant, costly,
and preventable health issue.
8. A coalition of rape crisis centers and their allies,
known as the California Coalition Against Sexual
Assault, has emerged to directly confront this crisis
with the cooperation of law enforcement agencies,
churches, health care providers, and other helping
professionals from California's diverse communities.
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9. It is our responsibility to support rape survivors by
treating them with dignity, compassion, and respect.
10. It is important to recognize the compassion and
dedication of the individuals involved in this effort,
applaud their commitment, and increase public
understanding of this significant problem.
11. It is important to recognize the strength, courage, and
challenges of the victims and survivors of sexual
assault and their families and friends as they struggle
to cope with the reality of sexual assault.
12.It is important to recognize that not all victims of
sexual assault survive, either at the time of the
assault or later, due to the horrific long-term trauma
that sexual assault often inflicts upon victims.
13. There are rape prevention and education efforts
underway throughout California to challenge the societal
myths and behaviors that perpetuate rape and to engage
communities in a common goal of ending sexual assault.
14. It is crucially important to hold perpetrators
responsible for sexual attacks, and to prevent sexual
violence at every opportunity.
15. In 1998, the Italian Supreme Court overturned the
conviction of a man who sexually assaulted an 18 year
old woman after the court determined that, "because the
victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him
remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer
rape but consensual sex".
16. Enraged by the court decision, within a matter of hours
the women in the Italian Parliament launched into
immediate action and protested by wearing jeans to work.
17. Nations and states throughout the world have followed
the lead of the Italian Parliament by designating their
own "Denim Day" to raise public awareness about rape and
sexual assault.
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18. Harmful attitudes about rape and sexual assault allow
these crimes to persist and allow survivors to be
revictimized through victim-blaming attitudes and
unresponsive government systems.
19. California is a national leader within the judicial,
criminal justice, medical, rape crisis, and health
communities in promoting victim-centered approaches to
victims of crimes.
20. The Legislature designates the month of April 2011 as
Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
21. The Legislature recognizes April 27, 2011, as "Denim
Day California" and encourages everyone to wear jeans on
that day to help communicate the message that there is
no excuse for, and never an invitation to, rape and
sexual assault.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 74-0, 8/18/11
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford, Brownley,
Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eng,
Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Beth Gaines,
Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gordon, Grove, Hagman,
Halderman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Huber,
Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lara, Logue,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mansoor, Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell,
Monning, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Pan,
Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Portantino, Silva, Skinner,
Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams,
Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bonilla, Cedillo, Gorell, Hill, Torres,
Valadao
RJG:kc 8/18/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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