| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 12 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Every October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month |
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| 6 | 6 | | mobilizes people around the country to join in efforts to end |
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| 7 | 7 | | domestic violence in their communities; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, More than 10 million women and men are physically |
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| 9 | 9 | | abused by an intimate partner in the United States each year; |
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| 10 | 10 | | domestic violence encompasses a pattern of behaviors used to gain |
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| 11 | 11 | | or maintain power and control over a victim, and in many cases, |
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| 12 | 12 | | physical violence reinforces other forms of psychological and |
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| 13 | 13 | | emotional abuse such as threats, intimidation, and isolation; |
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| 14 | 14 | | severe intimate partner violence can include instances of physical |
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| 15 | 15 | | assault, rape, and stalking that leave victims with injuries, |
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| 16 | 16 | | post-traumatic stress disorder, and other lasting impacts; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, While young women are most frequently the victims of |
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| 18 | 18 | | intimate partner violence, women, men, and children of every age, |
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| 19 | 19 | | race, background, and circumstance can fall victim to abuse at the |
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| 20 | 20 | | hands of a family member; the damage caused by domestic violence |
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| 21 | 21 | | extends beyond direct victims to include children who are witnesses |
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| 22 | 22 | | to violence in their own homes, and studies have shown that children |
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| 23 | 23 | | exposed to family violence are at higher risk for mental health |
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| 24 | 24 | | conditions like anxiety and depression, for developing substance |
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| 25 | 25 | | abuse disorders and certain diseases in adulthood, and for becoming |
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| 26 | 26 | | either a victim or a perpetrator of abuse themselves; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Domestic Violence Awareness Month evolved from the |
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| 28 | 28 | | "Day of Unity" first observed by the National Coalition Against |
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| 29 | 29 | | Domestic Violence in October 1981; the goal of the observance was to |
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| 30 | 30 | | connect advocates across the nation who were working to break the |
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| 31 | 31 | | cycle of domestic violence and abuse, and it soon expanded into an |
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| 32 | 32 | | entire week of activities at the local, state, and national levels; |
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| 33 | 33 | | the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month took place in October |
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| 34 | 34 | | 1987, the same year that the first national toll-free hotline for |
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| 35 | 35 | | victims of domestic violence was established; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | WHEREAS, During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, |
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| 37 | 37 | | advocates, supporters, and survivors gather together to raise |
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| 38 | 38 | | public awareness of domestic violence, to celebrate the progress |
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| 39 | 39 | | that has been made, and to call attention to the work that must be |
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| 40 | 40 | | done to protect future victims of this devastating crime; now, |
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| 41 | 41 | | therefore, be it |
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| 42 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby recognize October 2024 as |
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| 44 | 44 | | Domestic Violence Awareness Month and encourage Texans to learn |
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| 45 | 45 | | more about how they can stand up against domestic violence in their |
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| 46 | 46 | | communities. |
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| 47 | 47 | | Hull |
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| 48 | 48 | | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 50 | 50 | | I certify that H.R. No. 12 was adopted by the House on |
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| 51 | 51 | | November 1, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 52 | 52 | | ______________________________ |
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| 53 | 53 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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