HR 394 — A Resolution recognizing the month of April 2024 as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

2928 THEPRINTER'S GENERALNO. ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE RESOLUTION Session of No.

3017 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE RESOLUTION Session of No.

MACKENZIE, HOWARD, NEILSON, HADDOCKHADDOCK, DELLOSO, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, O'MARA AND DELLOSO,CURRY, APRIL 11, 2024 REFERREDAS TOAMENDED, COMMITTEEHOUSE ONOF JUDICIARY,REPRESENTATIVES, APRIL 11,30, 2024 A RESOLUTION Recognizing the month of April 2024 as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

and WHEREAS, Someone ACCORDING TO THE RAPE, ABUSE & INCEST <-- NATIONAL NETWORK (RAINN), SOMEONE in the United States is the victim of sexual assault every 98 68 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, One in six ACCORDING TO RAINN, ONE IN TWENTY boys <-- 20240HR0394PN3017 - 2 - and one in four NINE girls experience some form of sexual <-- violence before they turn 18 years of age;

20240HR0394PN2928 - 2 - and WHEREAS, Close to 30% THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND <-- THE NATIONAL CENTERS FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME ESTIMATE THAT NEARLY 22% 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;lives, WHICH MAY INCLUDE SEXUAL ABUSE;

and <-- WHEREAS, More than 30% of Hispanic women have reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact;

and WHEREAS, Gay ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND <-- PREVENTION, GAY and bisexual men are up to 15 times 1.9 AND 2.3 <-- TIMES, RESPECTIVELY, more likely than heterosexual men to report having been sexually assaulted;

and WHEREAS, CommunitiesHUMAN canTRAFFICKERS supportCOMMONLY survivorsUSE bySEXUAL believingVIOLENCE theirTO stories,<-- showingEXERT respectCONTROL andOVER championingWOMEN, theirCHILDREN individualAND supportMEN; networks;

AND WHEREAS, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE ESTIMATES THAT THERE ARE 27.6 MILLION VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING PRESENT IN 20240HR0394PN3017 - 3 - 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% 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, INDIVIDUALS WHO SEXUALLY ABUSE OTHERS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO HEIGHTENED CRIMINAL PENALTIES UNDER THE LAWS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH;

AND WHEREAS, Communities can support survivors by believing their stories, showing respect and championing their individual support networks;

and WHEREAS, Consent and boundaries can be violated online in a 20240HR0394PN2928 - 3 - number of ways;

and be it further 20240HR0394PN3017 - 4 - 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;

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