PRINTER'S NO. 3541
No. 635 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY SAMUELSON, WOJNAROSKI, ALLEN, BAKER, BALDWIN,
BARRAR, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF,
BIRMELIN, BROWNE, BUNT, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CAWLEY, CLYMER,
CORRIGAN, COY, CRAHALLA, CRUZ, DALEY, DENLINGER, DERMODY,
DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EGOLF, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO,
FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FORCIER, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE,
GERGELY, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOOD, GOODMAN, GRUCELA,
GRUITZA, HARHAI, HARHART, HARRIS, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS,
HICKERNELL, HORSEY, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KELLER, KILLION,
KIRKLAND, KOTIK, LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, LEACH, LEDERER, LEH,
LEWIS, MAITLAND, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, McGILL, McILHATTAN,
MUNDY, MUSTIO, NAILOR, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PAYNE, PICKETT,
PISTELLA, READSHAW, REED, ROHRER, ROONEY, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SHANER,
B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, R. STEVENSON, STURLA, TANGRETTI,
E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRUE, WALKO, WATERS, WATSON,
WEBER, WILT AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 24, 2004
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 24, 2004
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of April 2004 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
10 they are able to grow into healthy, well-adjusted and productive
1 adults; and
2 WHEREAS, We, as a legislative body, have an ongoing
3 commitment to protect the rights and needs of children; and
4 WHEREAS, In December 1999 the Senate directed the Joint State
5 Government Commission to study child abuse within this
6 Commonwealth and make recommendations to the General Assembly;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, The General Assembly has defined child abuse as any
9 "recent act or failure to act by a perpetrator which causes
10 nonaccidental serious physical injury to a child under 18 years
11 of age" or an "act or failure to act by a perpetrator which
12 causes nonaccidental serious mental injury to or sexual abuse or
13 sexual exploitation of a child under 18 years of age" and has
14 made it illegal to engage in such activity; and
15 WHEREAS, Child abuse crosses all racial, economic and
16 geographic boundaries and has reached epidemic proportions
17 across this nation and throughout this Commonwealth; and
18 WHEREAS, There were more than 24,000 cases of possible child
19 abuse or neglect referred for investigation in this Commonwealth
20 in 2002; and
21 WHEREAS, There were more than 5,000 substantiated cases of
22 child abuse and neglect in this Commonwealth in 2002; and
23 WHEREAS, Forty-nine children died in 2002 in this
24 Commonwealth as a result of child abuse or neglect; and
25 WHEREAS, Thousands of Pennsylvanians in schools, social
26 service agencies, churches and neighborhood groups throughout
27 this Commonwealth are working hard to nurture and support the
28 victims of child abuse and prevent future abuse; and
29 WHEREAS, In spite of the dedication and sacrifice of these
30 individuals, much more still needs to be done to guarantee a
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1 childhood free of abuse and victimization to every child in this
2 Commonwealth; and
3 WHEREAS, As our knowledge about the prevention and treatment
4 of child abuse grows, we must provide support, information and
5 guidance to families in which child abuse may happen; therefore
6 be it
7 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
8 month of April 2004 as "Child Abuse Prevention Month" in
9 Pennsylvania; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives continue to do
11 its part in creating a nurturing and supportive environment for
12 all children in this Commonwealth so that they might grow up to
13 be healthy and productive citizens; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend the many
15 individuals and community groups and organizations who work
16 daily to treat and prevent child abuse in this Commonwealth and
17 urge all Pennsylvanians to do their part in preventing the
18 tragedy of child abuse.
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