HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

37

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING CONGRESS TO PROTECT FUNDING AND MAINTAIN PROGRAMS, LAWS, REGULATIONS, AND POLICIES THAT ASSIST VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, domestic violence is a major problem in both Hawaii and throughout the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, domestic violence is often referred to as intimate partner violence, which involves couples who are dating, spouses, and former spouses or partners; and

 

     WHEREAS, around the world, one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused during her lifetime; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse organization, also known as CORA, a woman is abused every nine seconds, and one in five high school females experience dating violence; and

 

     WHEREAS, a fact sheet prepared by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence states that in 1999 there were 8,013 reported cases of domestic violence in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Honolulu Police Department estimates that up to one-half of the Department's work time is spent responding to "domestic" calls; and

 

     WHEREAS, domestic violence often involves physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse; and

 

     WHEREAS, women victimized by abuse are more likely to be diagnosed with serious health problems including depression, panic attacks, migraine headaches, chronic pain, arthritis, and high blood pressure, and are also more likely to display high-risk behaviors such as substance abuse and sexual risk-taking; and

 

     WHEREAS, pregnant women are frequent targets of abuse, and as a result are considered at-risk for low birth-weight babies and preterm labor; and

 

     WHEREAS, although domestic violence is the number one cause of injury to women, ten percent of domestic violence victims are men; and

 

     WHEREAS, in addition to the physical and psychological effects of domestic violence on the victim and the victim's family, there are job-related consequences; and

 

     WHEREAS, CORA estimates that it costs the American economy $8,000,000,000 to $10,000,000,000 in absenteeism, medical costs, employee turnover, lost productivity, and other costs; and

 

     WHEREAS, 3,000,000 to 10,000,000 children witness domestic violence every year, and often these children are abused themselves; and

 

     WHEREAS, youth who commit crime often have histories of child abuse and exposure to domestic violence; and

 

     WHEREAS, a change in funding, programs, laws, regulations, or policies that would discourage victims from reporting incidents of domestic violence, would force many victims to remain in violent relationships just to avoid deportation and abandonment of their children, which would in turn cause these children to seek public assistance, possibly end up in foster care, and become more likely to exhibit domestic violence behaviors themselves; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that this body urges Congress to protect funding and maintain programs, laws, regulations, and policies that assist victims of domestic violence; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Majority Leader of the United States Senate, members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, the Governor, Director of Human Services, Director of Health, and Executive Director of the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Domestic Violence; Congressional Funding, Programs, and Policies