PRINTER'S NO. 3680
No. 645 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY WOJNAROSKI, SAMUELSON, LEDERER, RUBLEY, BAKER,
SAINATO, CRUZ, THOMAS, GRUCELA, DONATUCCI, GEIST, CREIGHTON,
CAPPELLI, McGILL, BISHOP, MAJOR, CORRIGAN, RAPP, ROEBUCK,
STABACK, CALTAGIRONE, DERMODY, SOLOBAY, COHEN, HERSHEY,
GEORGE, SHAPIRO, TRUE, GOODMAN, STERN, PETRI, BELARDI,
REICHLEY, WATSON, R. STEVENSON, YOUNGBLOOD, McILHATTAN,
DeWEESE, MANN, STURLA, TANGRETTI, HENNESSEY, BEYER, MUSTIO,
JAMES, GOOD, S. MILLER, MARKOSEK, ROSS, SAYLOR, TIGUE,
BELFANTI, PARKER, PHILLIPS, DENLINGER, MICOZZIE, ZUG, WALKO,
SANTONI, PALLONE, HICKERNELL, ARGALL, CLYMER, PAYNE,
SCHRODER, BIRMELIN, SATHER, BEBKO-JONES, LEH, FAIRCHILD,
SCAVELLO, HASAY, MARSICO, SURRA, SHANER, MACKERETH, REED,
READSHAW, DALLY, HESS, CURRY, KOTIK, BARRAR, HARHART,
MILLARD, RAMALEY, GINGRICH, GABIG, BLACKWELL, E. Z. TAYLOR,
CAUSER, BALDWIN, FICHTER, BUNT, SONNEY, BENNINGHOFF,
J. EVANS, PISTELLA, SIPTROTH, WILT, FABRIZIO, HARPER, HARHAI,
B. SMITH, PETRONE, BASTIAN, BOYD, ROBERTS, QUIGLEY, O'NEILL
AND DeLUCA, MARCH 14, 2006
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 14, 2006
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of April 2006 as "Child Abuse Prevention
2 Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Children bring happiness into our lives and hope to
4 our future; and
5 WHEREAS, Children are our greatest joy and our most important
6 responsibility; and
7 WHEREAS, It is our responsibility as parents, friends,
8 neighbors, citizens and lawmakers to nurture and protect
9 children, providing an atmosphere of love and respect in which
1 they are able to grow into healthy, well-adjusted and productive
2 adults; and
3 WHEREAS, We, as a legislative body, have an ongoing
4 commitment to protect the rights and needs of children; and
5 WHEREAS, In December 1999 the Senate directed the Joint State
6 Government Commission to study child abuse within this
7 Commonwealth and make recommendations to the General Assembly;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, The General Assembly has defined child abuse as any
10 "recent act or failure to act by a perpetrator which causes
11 nonaccidental serious physical injury to a child under 18 years
12 of age" or an "act or failure to act by a perpetrator which
13 causes nonaccidental serious mental injury to or sexual abuse or
14 sexual exploitation of a child under 18 years of age" and has
15 made it illegal to engage in such activity; and
16 WHEREAS, Child abuse crosses all racial, economic and
17 geographic boundaries and has reached epidemic proportions
18 across this nation and throughout this Commonwealth; and
19 WHEREAS, There were 23,618 cases of possible child abuse or
20 maltreatment referred for investigation in this Commonwealth in
21 2004; and
22 WHEREAS, There were 4,628 substantiated cases of child abuse
23 and neglect in this Commonwealth in 2004; and
24 WHEREAS, Thousands of Pennsylvanians in schools, social
25 service agencies, churches and neighborhood groups throughout
26 this Commonwealth are working hard to nurture and support the
27 victims of child abuse and prevent future abuse; and
28 WHEREAS, In spite of the dedication and sacrifice of these
29 individuals, much more still needs to be done to guarantee a
30 childhood free of abuse and victimization to every child in this
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1 Commonwealth; and
2 WHEREAS, As our knowledge about the prevention and treatment
3 of child abuse grows, we must provide support, information and
4 guidance to families in which child abuse may happen; therefore
5 be it
6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
7 month of April 2006 as "Child Abuse Prevention Month" in
8 Pennsylvania; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives continue to do
10 its part in creating a nurturing and supportive environment for
11 all children in this Commonwealth so that they might grow up to
12 be healthy and productive citizens; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend the many
14 individuals and community groups and organizations who work
15 daily to treat and prevent child abuse in this Commonwealth and
16 urge all Pennsylvanians to do their part in preventing the
17 tragedy of child abuse.
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