Amended in Assembly September 6, 2013

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 68

Introduced by Senator Lieu

(Coauthors: Senators Evans, Hueso, and Jackson)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bloom, Brown, Chávez, Gordon, Hall, Lowenthal, Skinner, and Ting)

August 14, 2013

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 68—Relative to National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 68, as amended, Lieu. begin insert National end insert Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This bill would recognize October of each year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, President Obama declared October 2012 as
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and

WHEREAS, President Obama called on all Americans to
“promote healthy relationships, speak out when we see injustice
in our communities, stand with survivors we know, and change
attitudes that perpetuate the cycle of abuse”; and

WHEREAS, Although progress has been made toward breaking
the cycle of violence, much work remains to be done; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence programs in California provide
essential, lifesaving services for victims and their children fleeing
violence; and

WHEREAS, Advocates and organizations work on behalf of
victims every day. Domestic violence shelters and services, law
enforcement officials, health care providers, and others are all
integral parts of the effort to end domestic violence and must be
recognized and applauded for their work; and

WHEREAS, There is a need to increase the public awareness
and understanding of domestic violence and the needs of victims;
and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence affects women, men, and
children of all racial, social, religious, ethnic, and economic groups
in the United States and here in California; and

WHEREAS, All victims deserve access to programs and services
to increase their safety; and

WHEREAS, begin delete Approximately 40 percent of California women
experience physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes;
and end delete begin insert While one in four women and one in seven men have
experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner,
women are disproportionally affected by sexual violence, intimate
partner violence, and stalking; and end insert

WHEREAS, Women 18 to 24 years of age are significantly
more likely to be victims of physical intimate partner violence
than women in other age groups; and

WHEREAS, California law enforcement agencies received
158,547 domestic violence-related calls in 2011; and

WHEREAS, There were 147 domestic begin delete violence related end delete
begin insert violence-related end insert homicides in California in 2011, of which 129
fatalities were female and 18 were male; and

WHEREAS, Children exposed to domestic violence can
experience long-term consequences, including difficulty at school,
substance abuse, and serious adult health problems; and

WHEREAS, The Legislature recognizes the vital role that all
Californians can play in preventing, and one day ending, domestic
violence; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes October 2013,
and each following October, as National Domestic Violence
Awareness Month; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.