LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional deleg-
ation to support reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
(VAWA) of 1994

WHEREAS, Intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence,
threatens the physical and mental health of New Yorkers and their fami-
lies and, in extreme instances, leads to severe injury and death; and
WHEREAS, Intimate partner violence is a serious public health epidem-
ic; and
WHEREAS, Law enforcement agencies, including the New York City Police
Department, respond to hundreds of emergency calls for assistance,
including intimate partner violence (IPV) fatalities; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 4,000 New York City women were treated in emergency
departments in 2005 for injuries that they acknowledged were due to
intimate partner violence; and
WHEREAS, Many more women in New York were treated for assault injuries
of unknown origin; and
WHEREAS, Most documented cases of intimate partner violence are
against women; and
WHEREAS, Since 1999, physical dating violence reported by public high
school females in New York City has risen some 50% and high school
survey data indicate that reported physical dating violence increased
from 7.1% in 1999 to 10.6% in 2005; and
WHEREAS, The annual 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, Women between the ages of 20 and 29, as compared to teens and
older women, were twice as likely to be killed by an intimate partner,
to be treated at the hospital, or to visit an emergency department for
an IPV-related assault; and
WHEREAS, African-American and Hispanic women were more than twice as
likely as women of other racial/ethnic groups to be killed or injured by
an intimate partner; and
WHEREAS, Women living in New York City neighborhoods with very low
median household income had at least twice the IPV-related death, hospi-
talization and emergency department visit rates compared to women living
in higher income neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, Public high school females who report dating violence and
women who report fearing an intimate partner experience more physical
and mental health problems than female teens and women who do not; and
WHEREAS, Few women killed by an intimate partner had criminal justice
system protections; and
WHEREAS, The federal Violence Against Women Act of 1994, signed into
law as Public Law 103-322 by United States President Bill Clinton,
provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent
crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on
those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to
leave unprosecuted; and
WHEREAS, The Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized by the
Congress in 2000, and again in December 2005; and
WHEREAS, The Violence Against Women Act was developed, passed and
enacted into law as a result of extensive grassroots efforts in the late
1980s and early 1990s, with advocates and professionals from the
battered women's movement, sexual assault advocates, victim services

field, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, the courts, and
the private bar; and
WHEREAS, Since its original passage and through successive reauthori-
zations, VAWA's focus has expanded from domestic violence and sexual
assault to also include dating violence and stalking, such that the
law's greatest success has been its emphasis on a coordinated community
response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and
stalking; and
WHEREAS, Courts, law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services provid-
ers and the private bar currently work cooperatively in a coordinated
effort that had not heretofore existed on the state and local level; and
WHEREAS, VAWA also supports the work of community-based organizations
that are engaged in work to end domestic violence, dating violence,
sexual assault, and stalking, particularly those groups that provide
culturally and linguistically specific services; and
WHEREAS, The New York State constitution provides that protection and
promotion of the health of the inhabitants of the state are matters of
public concern and provision therefor shall be made by the state and by
such of its subdivisions and in such manner, and by such means as the
legislature shall from time to time determine; and
WHEREAS, VAWA grants have been awarded in New York State for direct
services provided by district attorneys, police departments, courts and
victim services organizations; and
WHEREAS, Most local domestic violence programs receive funding through
VAWA grants; and
WHEREAS, The mission of the New York State Office for the Prevention
of Domestic Violence is to improve New York State's response to and
prevention of domestic violence with the goal of enhancing the safety of
all New Yorkers in their intimate and family relationships, with a
vision toward creating a state in which communities and systems are
committed to supporting and promoting equality, dignity and respect; and
WHEREAS, Despite improvements in services to combat domestic violence,
sexual assault and stalking, New York state continues to need funding
available through the Violence Against Women Act; and
WHEREAS, Local domestic violence programs, according to the annual
report of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services,
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, The 2012 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, The Violence Against Women Laws provide programs and
services, including community violence prevention program; protections
for victims who are evicted from their homes because of events related
to domestic violence for stalking; funding for victim assistance
services, like rape crises centers and hotlines; programs to meet the
needs of immigrant women and women of different races or ethnicities;
programs and services for victims with disabilities; and legal services
for survivors of violence; and
WHEREAS, Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act is current-
ly being debated in the United States Congress; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional delegation be and
hereby is respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to support
reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994; 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.