BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 2
Author: Cohn (D), et al.
Amended: 7/13/05 in Assembly
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
SUBJECT : Domestic Violence Awareness Month
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution proclaims the month of October
2005 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
ANALYSIS :
This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1. Home should be a place of warmth, unconditional love,
and security; however, for many Americans, home is
tainted with violence and fear.
2. Domestic violence is much more than the occasional
family dispute.
3. According to the Surgeon General, United States Public
Health Service, domestic violence is a societal problem
of epidemic proportions.
4. According to experts, between 2 and 4 million American
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women are battered every year, and between 3.3 and 10
million children witness violence in their homes.
5. According to the United States Department of Labor,
1,000,000 people are assaulted and injured every year
as a result of workplace violence, 1,000 people are
killed every year due to workplace violence, and 30
percent of battered women lose their jobs due to
harassment at work by abusive husbands and boyfriends.
6. Battering affects families across America in all
socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups.
7. More than one-half of the number of women in need of
shelter from an abusive environment may be turned away
from a shelter due to a lack of space.
8. Women are not the only targets of domestic violence:
young children, elderly persons, and men are also
victims in their own homes.
9. Emotional, physical, and psychological scars are often
permanent.
10. A coalition of organizations has emerged to confront
this crisis directly. Law enforcement agencies,
domestic violence hotlines, battered women and
childrens' shelters, health care providers, faith-based
organizations, the courts, and the volunteers that
serve those entities are helping in the effort to end
domestic violence.
11. It is important to recognize the compassion and
dedication of the individuals involved in that effort,
applaud their commitment, and increase public
understanding of this significant problem.
12. The first Day of Unity was celebrated in October 1981
and was sponsored by the National Coalition Against
Domestic Violence for the purpose of uniting battered
womens' advocates across the nation in an effort to end
domestic violence.
13. That one day has grown into a month of activities at
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all levels of government, aimed at creating awareness
about the problem and presenting solutions.
14. The first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was
proclaimed in October 1987.
This resolution proclaims the month of October 2005 as
Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
AGB:nl 8/30/05 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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