PRINTER'S NO. 3658
No. 677 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY BEBKO-JONES, DeWEESE, JOSEPHS, MUNDY, READSHAW,
PAYNE, TIGUE, SURRA, STURLA, B. SMITH, MAJOR, MANN, McGEEHAN,
FABRIZIO, SHANER, HARHAI, GINGRICH, GABIG, FREEMAN, DALEY,
ARMSTRONG, PHILLIPS, THOMAS, BROWNE, J. EVANS, DONATUCCI,
REICHLEY, TANGRETTI, SOLOBAY, SCAVELLO, MANDERINO, McCALL,
McGILL, McILHATTAN, DiGIROLAMO, GRUCELA, GEIST, FRANKEL,
FORCIER, BARD, BELARDI, BISHOP, CORRIGAN, CRUZ, HORSEY,
PISTELLA, ROBERTS, RUBLEY, WALKO, WATERS, YOUNGBLOOD, ROSS,
LESCOVITZ, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, HERSHEY, SCHRODER, FICHTER,
ROEBUCK, WASHINGTON, WOJNAROSKI, GOOD, LEVDANSKY, LEACH,
JAMES, HENNESSEY, CAPPELLI, PICKETT, ROONEY AND REED,
APRIL 12, 2004
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 12, 2004
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of October 2004 as "Domestic Violence
2 Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Domestic violence transcends all social, age-
4 related, economic, racial and ethnic barriers; and
5 WHEREAS, Research indicates that one of the risk factors for
6 domestic violence is unemployment or poverty; and
7 WHEREAS, It is estimated that nearly 6 million women are
8 physically abused each year throughout the United States; and
9 WHEREAS, According to statistics gathered by the Federal
10 Bureau of Investigation, a woman is beaten every 12 seconds; and
11 WHEREAS, Approximately 1,700 murders are attributed to
12 domestic violence each year in the United States; and
1 WHEREAS, Nearly 100,000 victims request and receive services
2 for domestic violence-related incidents each year in this
3 Commonwealth; and
4 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence
5 indicates that from 1999 to 2003 the number of victims
6 requesting and receiving services related to domestic violence
7 incidents increased by 48%; and
8 WHEREAS, Emerging research indicates that hospital-based
9 domestic violence interventions will reduce health care costs by
10 at least 20%; and
11 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is the first state in the nation to
12 institute universal screening for domestic violence; and
13 WHEREAS, The importance of universal screening was emphasized
14 by the General Assembly through the enactment of the act of
15 December 3, 1998 (P.L.925, No.115), known as the Domestic
16 Violence Health Care Response Act, which establishes the
17 Domestic Violence Health Care Response Program; and
18 WHEREAS, For the third straight year the Family Violence
19 Prevention Fund has designated Pennsylvania as the only state in
20 the nation to receive an "A" grade for its domestic violence
21 health care laws; and
22 WHEREAS, According to the Department of Justice, nearly 50%
23 of all domestic violence acts are witnessed by children; and
24 WHEREAS, Battery is a leading cause of injury to women; and
25 WHEREAS, Studies show that battered women who work face a
26 high likelihood of losing their jobs because of domestic
27 violence: 55% missed work and more than 60% were late for work;
28 and
29 WHEREAS, The annual cost of lost productivity due to domestic
30 violence is estimated to be $727.8 million, with more than 7.9
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1 million paid workdays lost each year; and
2 WHEREAS, The costs of intimate partner violence exceed $5.8
3 billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical
4 and mental health care services paid largely by the employers;
5 and
6 WHEREAS, All Pennsylvanians should be made aware of the
7 multitude of symptoms and signs associated with domestic
8 violence; and
9 WHEREAS, Approximately 10% of primary care physicians across
10 the nation routinely screen new patients for partner abuse when
11 not currently injured, and 9% routinely screen during periodic
12 checkups; therefore be it
13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
14 month of October 2004 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in
15 Pennsylvania and encourage all Pennsylvanians to learn more
16 about causes, signs, prevention and treatment for domestic
17 violence.
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