PRINTER'S NO. 2111
No. 358 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, ROBBINS, LAVALLE, EARLL, WASHINGTON,
C. WILLIAMS, WENGER, BOSCOLA, KASUNIC, STACK, FERLO,
WONDERLING, O'PAKE, PUNT, KITCHEN, RAFFERTY, GORDNER,
FONTANA, VANCE, BRIGHTBILL, CONTI, LOGAN, COSTA, TARTAGLIONE,
MELLOW, WOZNIAK, REGOLA, MUSTO, CORMAN, DINNIMAN, RHOADES,
ARMSTRONG, TOMLINSON, ERICKSON, D. WHITE, GREENLEAF, PILEGGI,
PICCOLA, PIPPY AND LEMMOND, OCTOBER 3, 2006
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, OCTOBER 3, 2006
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of October as "Domestic Violence Awareness
2 Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Approximately 80,000 Pennsylvanians each year are
4 victims of domestic violence; and
5 WHEREAS, Approximately 4.8 million intimate partner rapes and
6 sexual assaults occur annually in the United States; and
7 WHEREAS, Approximately 1,800 murders nationally are
8 attributed to domestic violence each year; and
9 WHEREAS, According to FBI statistics, a woman is beaten every
10 15 seconds; and
11 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is the first state in the nation to
12 institute domestic violence universal screening; and
13 WHEREAS, The importance of screening patients for symptoms of
14 domestic violence was emphasized by this legislature most
15 recently by the passage of Act 115 of 1998, which establishes
1 the Domestic Violence Health Care Response Program; and
2 WHEREAS, The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) has
3 designated Pennsylvania as the only state in the nation to
4 receive an "A" grade in regards to its domestic violence health
5 care laws; and
6 WHEREAS, According to the Department of Justice, nearly 50%
7 of all domestic violence acts are witnessed by children; and
8 WHEREAS, Battery is a leading cause of injury to women; and
9 WHEREAS, Studies show that battered women who work face a
10 high likelihood of losing their jobs because of domestic
11 violence: 55% missed work and over 60% were late for work; and
12 WHEREAS, All Pennsylvanians should be made aware of the
13 multitude of symptoms and signs associated with domestic
14 violence; and
15 WHEREAS, Approximately only 10% of primary care physicians
16 across the nation routinely screen patients for partner abuse
17 when not currently injured; therefore be it
18 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of October 2006
19 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania; and be
20 it further
21 RESOLVED, That the Senate encourage all Pennsylvanians to
22 learn more about the causes, signs, prevention and treatment for
23 domestic violence.
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