Trial Engrossment of Amendment A04129 to House Resolution 0394 P.N. 2928, Regular Session 2023-2024

A04129

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No.

394

Session of

2024

INTRODUCED BY McNEILL, KINSEY, HILL-EVANS, POWELL, HOHENSTEIN,

GIRAL, CERRATO, KINKEAD, PROBST, VITALI, KHAN, M. MACKENZIE,

HOWARD, NEILSON, HADDOCK AND DELLOSO, APRIL 11, 2024

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 11, 2024

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing the month of April 2024 as "Sexual Assault Awareness

Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, April is nationally recognized as "Sexual Assault

Awareness Month" to call attention to the fact that sexual

violence is widespread and impacts every community; and

WHEREAS, April 2024 is the 23rd anniversary of the first

recognition of "Sexual Assault Awareness Month"; and

WHEREAS, Prior to the first "Sexual Assault Awareness Month,"

social activists brought the realities of the prevalence of

sexual violence to the forefront of public perception; and

WHEREAS, During the civil rights era, although the realities

of sexual assault and domestic violence all too often went

unspoken, challenges to social injustices opened the door to

begin tough conversations about the intersections of race-based

and gender-based violence; and

WHEREAS, The 1970s saw the establishment of the first rape

crisis center in San Francisco and the first Take Back the Night

event which protested all forms of sexual violence; and

WHEREAS, The reality of sexual violence received nationwide

recognition with the passage of the Violence Against Women Act

in 1993; and

WHEREAS, Before the first nationally observed "Sexual Assault

Awareness Month" in 2001, advocates held events and observances

related to sexual violence, including "Sexual Assault Awareness

Weeks," during the month of April; and

WHEREAS, The National Sexual Violence Resource Center has

designated the theme of "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" 2024 to

be "Building Connected Communities" to recognize the value of

communities that take care of one another and that make

decisions to protect the well-being of all their members; and

WHEREAS, Sexual violence, which includes rape, sexual assault

and sexual harassment, continues to have a deep physical and

emotional trauma on those who have experienced it; and

WHEREAS, Rape in the United States occurs more frequently

than the public realizes, as 1 in 5 women and 1 in 67 men have

been raped in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Someone in the United States is the victim of sexual

assault every 98 seconds; and

WHEREAS, On postsecondary campuses, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16

men are sexually assaulted at some point in their educational

career, and 90% of sexual assaults on college campuses go

unreported; and

WHEREAS, Young people experience disproportionate rates of

sexual violence with close to 70% of all reported incidents of

sexual violence involving a child under 18 years of age; and

WHEREAS, One in six boys and one in four girls experience

some form of sexual violence before they turn 18 years of age;

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and

WHEREAS, Close to 30% of non-Hispanic Black women in the

United States are survivors of rape; and

WHEREAS, More than 80% of American Indian and Alaska Native

women have experienced some form of personal violence in their

lives; and

WHEREAS, More than 30% of Hispanic women have reported

experiencing unwanted sexual contact; and

WHEREAS, Lesbian and bisexual women experience sexual and

physical violence by intimate partners at a significantly higher

rate compared to straight women; and

WHEREAS, Gay and bisexual men are up to 15 times more likely

than heterosexual men to report having been sexually assaulted;

and

WHEREAS, Nearly half of all transgender people experience

some form of sexual violence throughout their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, More than 90% of individuals with a developmental

disability experience sexual violence at least once in their

lifetime, and 49% experience 10 or more sexually abusive

incidents throughout their lives; and

WHEREAS, Only 27% of all incidents of sexual violence end in

arrest; and

WHEREAS, Human traffickers commonly use sexual violence to

exert control over women, children and men; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of State estimates that

there are 27.6 million victims of human trafficking present in

the world at any given time; and

WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of

Justice, a total of 2,027 individuals were referred to United

States Attorneys for human trafficking offenses in 2021, a 49%

A04129 - 3 -

increase from the 1,360 individuals referred in 2011; and

WHEREAS, The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts

reported that 809 human trafficking offenses were filed in the

courts of this Commonwealth between 2018 and 2022; and

WHEREAS, Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline

has identified 1,897 cases of human trafficking involving 4,048

victims in this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Communities can support survivors by believing their

stories, showing respect and championing their individual

support networks; and

WHEREAS, Individuals speaking out against inappropriate

jokes, offensive gestures, harmful attitudes and unwanted

actions make a positive impact toward ending sexual harassment,

abuse and assault; and

WHEREAS, Consent and boundaries can be violated online in a

number of ways; and

WHEREAS, Individuals can work together to make their

communities safer by providing prevention education and

increasing public awareness to avoid future harm from sexual

violence; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the

month of April 2024 as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" in

Pennsylvania; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the

23rd anniversary of "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" to empower

more survivors and their loved ones on their journey to help,

hope and healing; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage

communities to understand their role in ending sexual violence

in Pennsylvania and the United States; and be it further

A04129 - 4 -

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage

communities to commit to making a difference to ensure that

online platforms are safe and respectful for everyone by

practicing consent, keeping kids safe and supporting survivors.

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