LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional deleg-
ation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

WHEREAS, Intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, is
a serious public health epidemic; and
WHEREAS, This violence, which includes domestic violence, sexual
assault or stalking occurs every day across this nation and throughout
New York State; and
WHEREAS, This violence manifests itself in emotional, physical,
mental, sexual, and economic abuses; and
WHEREAS, Annually, the economic impact of domestic violence nationwide
is approximately $8 billion; and
WHEREAS, This abuse negatively affects victims and their children; and
WHEREAS, Domestic violence also has an impact on our neighborhoods,
our communities and our State; and
WHEREAS, In a pioneering attempt to attend to such violence and its
aftermath, in 1994 the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was
first authorized; and
WHEREAS, According to a Congressional Research Service Report entitled
"Violence Against Women Act: History and Federal Funding", VAWA empha-
sizes funding of law enforcement efforts as well as educational and
social programs to prevent crime; and
WHEREAS, The report further explains VAWA funding is focused on help-
ing state, local and Indian tribal governments to strengthen law
enforcement; and
WHEREAS, In New York State, VAWA grants have been awarded for direct
services provided by district attorneys, police departments, courts and
victim services organizations; and
WHEREAS, According to the New York State Coalition Against Domestic
Violence, most local domestic violence programs receive funding through
VAWA grants; and
WHEREAS, Despite improvements in services to combat domestic violence,
sexual assault and stalking, New York State continues to need such fund-
ing; and
WHEREAS, According to the Annual Report of the New York State Office
of Children and Family Services, local domestic violence programs
answered over 185,000 phone calls last year, and served over 47,000
individuals and families with non-residential domestic violence
services, as well as housed over 15,000 victims of domestic violence and
their children across New York State; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, 14,500 adults and 17,400 kids were denied shelter,
and 1,030 adults and children entered domestic violence transitional
living shelters; and
WHEREAS, A 2011 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
report states on average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape,
physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United
States, based on a survey conducted in 2010; and
WHEREAS, According to that same study, 1 in 6 women (16.2%) and 1 in
19 men (5.2%) have experienced stalking victimization at some point in
their lifetime in which they felt fearful or believed they or someone
close to them would be harmed or killed; and
WHEREAS, Women are more than 13 times more likely to be raped and
twice as likely to experience other forms of sexual violence than men;
and
WHEREAS, 41.6% of women and 13.9% of men reported being injured at the
hands of an intimate partner; and

WHEREAS, VAWA redefined the way domestic violence and other forms of
violence against women are handled by establishing funding streams for
changes in law enforcement, improvements in the criminal justice system,
and shelters and services for victims; and
WHEREAS, VAWA's concept of a coordinated community response that
encourages collaboration between law enforcement, judicial personnel and
the public and private sectors in order to address the needs of victims
of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking is considered to be
one of its most vital achievements; and
WHEREAS, Notably, VAWA also increased public awareness of the issues
of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking; and
WHEREAS, VAWA was reauthorized in both 2000 and 2005; and
WHEREAS, In November of 2011, Senators Leahy and Crapo introduced VAWA
to be reauthorized; and
WHEREAS, The 2011 reauthorization of VAWA should enhance several areas
including housing, workplace and military protections for victims,
accountability for offenders and prevention programs to break the cycle
of violence; and
WHEREAS, Over the past 17 years, VAWA has provided programs and
services to tens of thousands of individuals affected by domestic
violence and their families; and
WHEREAS, On the 17th anniversary of the passage of VAWA, the lead
sponsor of the original VAWA, Vice President Joseph Biden, called on "a
new generation to take action to reduce the high rates of violence and
assault that continue to threaten young men and women across the coun-
try"; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional delegation be and
hereby is respectfully memorialized by the Legislative Body to reauthor-
ize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to each member of the Congressional delegation from the State of
New York.