BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SCR 43|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SCR 43
Author: Galgiani (D)
Introduced:4/20/15
Vote: 21
SUBJECT: Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Denim Day
California
SOURCE: California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
DIGEST: This resolution designates the month of April 2015 as
Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and recognizes April 29, 2015,
as Denim Day California.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1)Women, children, and men are all victims of sexual assault,
and it is estimated that nearly one in two women and one in
five men experience sexual violence other than rape throughout
their lifetime.
2)In 2012, California rape crisis centers provided direct crisis
intervention services to 30,490 individuals, provided 6,782
sexual assault forensic examinations, and provided community
education services for almost 133,000 people. Currently, it
is reported that there are 2 million survivors of rape living
in California.
3)There are rape prevention and education efforts underway
throughout California to challenge the societal myths and
SCR 43
Page 2
behaviors that perpetuate rape and to engage communities in a
common goal of ending sexual assault.
4)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." 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.
5)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.
6)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; and it is crucially important to
hold perpetrators responsible for sexual attacks, and to
prevent sexual violence at every opportunity.
This resolution designates the month of April 2015 as Sexual
Assault Awareness Month; recognizes April 29, 2015, 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 commit, rape.
Prior Legislation
SCR 22 (Evans, Resolution Chapter 55, Statutes of 2013)
designated the month of April 2013 as Sexual Assault Awareness
Month, and recognized April 24, 2013, as Denim Day California.
SCR 15 (Evans, Resolution Chapter 76, Statutes of 2011)
designated the month of April 2011 as Sexual Assault Awareness
Month, and recognized April 27, 2011, as Denim Day California.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SCR 43
Page 3
SUPPORT: (Verified4/22/15)
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (source)
OPPOSITION: (Verified4/22/15)
None received
Prepared by:Melissa Ward / SFA / (916) 651-1520
4/22/15 16:20:39
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