HR 9127

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution designating the month of April 2009 as
3	"Sexual Assault Awareness Month" in Florida.
4
5	WHEREAS, sexual assault continues to be a major social
6	crisis in our society, with one in nine women in Florida having
7	been a victim of sexual violence, and
8	WHEREAS, sexual assault affects many Floridians, as a
9	victim of sexual assault or as a family member, friend,
10	significant other, neighbor, or co-worker of a victim of sexual
11	assault, and
12	WHEREAS, sexual assault has a devastating effect on the
13	lives of victims, impacting every aspect of a person's life and
14	increasing the risk for post traumatic stress disorder,
15	depression, suicide, homelessness, and substance abuse, and
16	WHEREAS, volunteers and service providers in Florida's 31
17	certified rape crisis centers work to provide a continuum of
18	care to sexual assault survivors through 24-hour hotlines,
19	counseling, support groups, advocacy, medical care, and
20	education, and
21	WHEREAS, the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence seeks
22	to improve services for victims of sexual assault and to prevent
23	future sexual assault through public awareness and services for
24	victims, and
25	WHEREAS, the Florida House of Representatives recognizes
26	the vital importance of designating a time devoted to increasing
27	the general public's awareness and support of agencies providing
28	services to sexual assault victims, and envisions a future free
29	from sexual violence in our communities, NOW, THEREFORE,
30
31	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
32	Florida:
33
34	That the Florida House of Representatives designates the
35	month of April 2009 as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" in
36	Florida.
37	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be
38	presented to the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence as a
39	tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.