BILL NUMBER: ACR 99 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 14, 2006
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Cohn
JANUARY 4, 2006
Relative to Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 99, as amended, Cohn Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
This measure would proclaim the month of October 2006 as Domestic
Violence Awareness Month.
Fiscal committee: no.
WHEREAS, Home should be a place of warmth, unconditional love, and
security; however, for many Americans, home is tainted with violence
and fear; and
WHEREAS, Domestic violence is much more than the occasional family
dispute; and
WHEREAS, Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner
violence, is a pattern of assaultive or coercive behaviors that may
include inflicted physical injury, psychological abuse, sexual
assault, progressive social isolation, stalking, deprivation,
intimidation, and threats; these behaviors are perpetrated by someone
who is, was, or wishes to be involved in an intimate or dating
relationship with an adult or adolescent, and are aimed at
establishing control by one partner over another; and
WHEREAS, According to the Surgeon General, United States Public
Health Service, domestic violence is a societal problem of epidemic
proportions; and
WHEREAS, Domestic violence is a serious criminal justice and
public health problem: in the most recent (July 2000) National
Violence Against Women Survey, 1.5 percent of surveyed women and 0.9
percent of surveyed men said they were physically assaulted or raped
by a partner in the previous 12 months; according to these estimates,
approximately 1.5 million women and 835,000 men are physically
assaulted or raped by an intimate partner annually in the United
States; cumulatively, an estimated 25 percent of women and 8 percent
of men in the United States have been physically or sexually abused
by an intimate partner at some point in their lives; and
WHEREAS, Domestic violence has serious health consequences:
the immediate injuries sustained by victims during violent episodes
can be severe and sometimes fatal, while physical and psychological
abuse has been linked to a number of adverse medical health effects;
domestic violence is linked to eight of 10 of the leading indicators
for Healthy People 2010; the health effects of intimate partner
violence often persist for years after the abuse has ended; and
WHEREAS, The costs of domestic violence are substantial. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 1995
that the total cost of intimate partner violence against adult women
was approximately $5.8 billion; the great majority of these costs,
more than $4 billion, were for health care services; and
WHEREAS, According to experts, between two and four
million American women are battered every year, and
The health consequences of intimate partner violence are not limited
to the adult partner being abused; between 3.3 million and 10
million children witness violence in their homes a nd
studies have indicate that children who witness intimate partner
violence are more likely to exhibit both physical health problems and
behavioral problems ; and
WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Labor, one
million people are assaulted and injured every year as a result of
workplace violence, one thousand 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; and
WHEREAS, Battering affects families across America in all
socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups; and
WHEREAS, Identifying and responding to abuse can make a
difference. Models developed to identify other chronic health
problems can effectively be applied to intimate partner violence;
routine inquiry of all patients by skilled health care professionals
increases opportunities for both identification and effective
interventions, validates intimate partner violence as a serious
public health issue, and enables providers to assist both victims and
their children; and
WHEREAS, 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 lack of space; and
WHEREAS, Women are not the only targets of domestic violence:
young children, elderly persons, and men are also victims in their
own homes; and
WHEREAS, Emotional, physical, and psychological scars are often
permanent; and
WHEREAS, 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; and
WHEREAS, 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; and
WHEREAS, 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; and
WHEREAS, That one day has grown into a month of activities at all
levels of government, aimed at creating awareness about the problem
and presenting solutions; and
WHEREAS, The first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was
proclaimed in October 1987; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month
of October 2006 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit a copy of
this resolution to the President of the United States, the Governor
of the State of California, the Director of the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, and to each Senator and
Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.