District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill CER25-0265 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	ENROLLED ORIGINAL
	1	+	1
	2	+	____________________________ __________________________ 2
	3	+	Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Brooke Pinto 3
	4	+	4
	5	+	____________________________ __________________________ 5
	6	+	Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Anita Bonds 6
	7	+	7
	8	+	8
	9	+	___________________________ ___________________________ 9
	10	+	Councilmember Matthew Frumin Councilmember Vincent C. Gray 10
	11	+	11
	12	+	12
	13	+	___________________________ ___________________________ 13
	14	+	Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember J aneese Lewis George 14
	15	+	15
	16	+	16
	17	+	17
	18	+	_______________________ ___________________________ 18
	19	+	Councilmember K enyan R. McDuffie Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau 19
	20	+	20
	21	+	___________________________ ___________________________ 21
	22	+	Councilmember Zachary Parker Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 22
	23	+	23
	24	+	24
	25	+	A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 25
	26	+	26
	27	+	_________________________ 27
	28	+	28
	29	+	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 29
	30	+	30
	31	+	_________________________ 31
	32	+	32
	33	+	33
	34	+	To declare the month of October 2024 as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” in the District 34
	35	+	of Columbia. 35
	36	+	36
	37	+	WHEREAS, protecting and improving the dignity and safety of all residents is the 37
	38	+	foundation of a vibrant and healthy community; 38
	39	+	39
	40	+	WHEREAS, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior used to exert power and 40
	41	+	control over an intimate partner that jeopardizes the security and well-being of District residents, 41
	42	+	and such destructive acts will not be tolerated; 42
	43	+	43 2
2	44
	45	+	WHEREAS, all forms of domestic violence—including physical, psychological, 44
	46	+	emotional, and economic abuse—can have devastating consequences for survivors and their 45
	47	+	families; 46
	48	+	47
	49	+	WHEREAS, 47% of women and 43% of men in the District have experienced intimate 48
	50	+	partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking in their lifetimes ; 49
	51	+	50
	52	+	WHEREAS, approximately 736 million women across the world have experienced 51
	53	+	physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner; 52
	54	+	53
	55	+	WHEREAS, nearly 99% of survivors experienced economic abuse from their partner, with 54
	56	+	many also facing long-term financial consequences as a result of intimate partner violence; 55
	57	+	56
	58	+	WHEREAS, in a one-day snapshot in 2023, 756 survivors received help from domestic 57
	59	+	violence service providers in the District, with 577 of those survivors receiving housing; 58
	60	+	59
	61	+	WHEREAS, in that same one- day period, 199 additional survivors called domestic 60
	62	+	violence hotlines; 61
	63	+	62
	64	+	WHEREAS, in that same one- day period, providers were unable to meet approximately 35 63
	65	+	survivors’ requests for housing or emergency shelter; 64
	66	+	65
	67	+	WHEREAS, of District residents experiencing homelessness in 2024, 50% of adults in 66
	68	+	families and 26% of single adults reported some history of domestic violence victimization ; 67
	69	+	68
	70	+	WHEREAS, 40% of homeless youth in the District indicate that they have experienced 69
	71	+	domestic violence; 70
	72	+	71
	73	+	WHEREAS, in FY23, intimate partner violence was the most common call type to the DC 72
	74	+	Victim Hotline, a 46% increase over FY22. 73
	75	+	74
	76	+	WHEREAS, in FY23, 1048 survivors called the national DV Hotline, with 472 of these 75
	77	+	calls involving requests for shelter. 57% of callers who shared their race were Black/ African 76
	78	+	American; 84% were female. 77
	79	+	78
	80	+	WHEREAS, according to the 2017 DC Women’s Needs Assessment Report, Black 79
	81	+	women, who comprise only 52% of the adult women’s population, accounted for 75% of the 80
	82	+	District’s unaccompanied homeless women’s population; 81
	83	+	82
	84	+	WHEREAS, domestic violence service providers continue to report that their survivor 83
	85	+	services are in very high demand; 84
	86	+	85
	87	+	WHEREAS, in addition to the increased demand for services, local domestic violence 86
	88	+	service providers are reporting a significant increase in the lethality of domestic violence ; 87
	89	+	88 3
3	90
4		-	A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
5		-
6		-	25-265
7		-
8		-	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
9		-
10		-	October 1, 2024
11		-
12		-
13		-	To declare the month of October 2024 as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” in the District
14		-	of Columbia.
15		-
16		-	WHEREAS, protecting and improving the dignity and safety of all residents is the
17		-	foundation of a vibrant and healthy community;
18		-
19		-	WHEREAS, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior used to exert power and
20		-	control over an intimate partner that jeopardizes the security and well-being of District residents,
21		-	and such destructive acts will not be tolerated;
22		-
23		-	WHEREAS, all forms of domestic violence—including physical, psychological,
24		-	emotional, and economic abuse—can have devastating consequences for survivors and their
25		-	families;
26		-
27		-	WHEREAS, 47% of women and 43% of men in the District have experienced intimate
28		-	partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking in their lifetimes ;
29		-
30		-	WHEREAS, approximately 736 million women across the world have experienced
31		-	physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner;
32		-
33		-	WHEREAS, nearly 99% of survivors experienced economic abuse from their partner, with
34		-	many also facing long-term financial consequences as a result of intimate partner violence;
35		-
36		-	WHEREAS, in a one-day snapshot in 2023, 756 survivors received help from domestic
37		-	violence service providers in the District, with 577 of those survivors receiving housing;
38		-
39		-	WHEREAS, in that same one- day period, 199 additional survivors called domestic
40		-	violence hotlines;
41		-
42		-	WHEREAS, in that same one- day period, providers were unable to meet approximately 35
43		-	survivors’ requests for housing or emergency shelter;
44		-
45		-	WHEREAS, of District residents experiencing homelessness in 2024, 50% of adults in
46		-	families and 26% of single adults reported some history of domestic violence victimization ; ENROLLED ORIGINAL
47		-	2
48		-
49		-
50		-
51		-	WHEREAS, 40% of homeless youth in the District indicate that they have experienced
52		-	domestic violence;
53		-
54		-	WHEREAS, in FY23, intimate partner violence was the most common call type to the DC
55		-	Victim Hotline, a 46% increase over FY22;
56		-
57		-	WHEREAS, in FY23, 1048 survivors called the national DV Hotline, with 472 of these
58		-	calls involving requests for shelter. 57% of callers who shared their race were Black/ African
59		-	American; 84% were female;
60		-
61		-	WHEREAS, according to the 2017 DC Women’s Needs Assessment Report, Black
62		-	women, who comprise only 52% of the adult women’s population, accounted for 75% of the
63		-	District’s unaccompanied homeless women’s population;
64		-
65		-	WHEREAS, domestic violence service providers continue to report that their survivor
66		-	services are in very high demand;
67		-	WHEREAS, in addition to the increased demand for services, local domestic violence
68		-	service providers are reporting a significant increase in the lethality of domestic violence ;
69		-	WHEREAS, economic stability and access to financial resources can be a critical factor in
70		-	a survivor’s ability to leave an abuser or dangerous environment;
71		-
72		-	WHEREAS, the District must commit to addressing the racial, social, and economic
73		-	inequities that are uniquely harm ful to communities of color and that hinder many survivors from
74		-	thriving after leaving an abusive relationship; WHEREAS, there is a continuing need for survivors to have access to culturally- specific
75		-	services which affirm their heritage, customs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other lived
76		-	experiences;
77		-
78		-	WHEREAS, service providers should receive adequate funding and support from local,
79		-	regional, and federal governments to address the growing demand and greater need for housing, counseling, legal, and culturally-specific services;
80		-
81		-	WHEREAS, the goal of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is to improve awareness of
82		-	domestic violence and outreach to residents and community members, and foster cooperation
83		-	between public and private actors to end domestic violence in the District;
84		-	ENROLLED ORIGINAL
85		-	3
86		-
87		-
88		-	WHEREAS, the District can do much more to support survivors and service providers, and
89		-	the Council will continue to partner with District agencies, community-based organizations, and
90		-	residents to keep survivors safe.
91		-
92		-	RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
93		-	resolution may be cited as the “Domestic Violence Awareness Month Recognition Resolution of
94		-	2024”.
95		-
96		-	Sec. 2. The Council declares the month of October 2024 as “Domestic Violence Awareness
97		-	Month” in the District of Columbia.
98		-
99		-	Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
	91	+	WHEREAS, economic stability and access to financial resources can be a critical factor in 89
	92	+	a survivor’s ability to leave an abuser or dangerous environment; 90
	93	+	91
	94	+	WHEREAS, the District must commit to addressing the racial, social, and economic 92
	95	+	inequities that are uniquely harm ful to communities of color and that hinder many survivors from 93
	96	+	thriving after leaving an abusive relationship; 94
	97	+	95
	98	+	WHEREAS, there is a continuing need for survivors to have access to culturally- specific 96
	99	+	services which affirm their heritage, customs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other lived 97
	100	+	experiences; 98
	101	+	99
	102	+	WHEREAS, service providers should receive adequate funding and support from local, 100
	103	+	regional, and federal governments to address the growing demand and greater need for housing, 101
	104	+	counseling, legal, and culturally- specific services; 102
	105	+	103
	106	+	WHEREAS, the goal of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is to improve awareness of 104
	107	+	domestic violence and outreach to residents and community members, and foster cooperation 105
	108	+	between public and private actors to end domestic violence in the District; 106
	109	+	107
	110	+	WHEREAS, the District can do much more to support survivors and service providers, and 108
	111	+	the Council will continue to partner with District agencies, community-based organizations, and 109
	112	+	residents to keep survivors safe. 110
	113	+	111
	114	+	RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 112
	115	+	resolution may be cited as the “Domestic Violence Awareness Month Recognition Resolution of 113
	116	+	2024”. 114
	117	+	115
	118	+	Sec. 2. The Council declares the month of October 2024 as “Domestic Violence Awareness 116
	119	+	Month” in the District of Columbia. 117
	120	+	118
	121	+	Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in 119
	122	+	the District of Columbia Register. 120