03/27/2014 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

             SCR 20-SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:00:56 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DYSON announced the consideration of SCR 20.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:01:02 AM                                                                                                                    
EDRA MORLEDGE, Staff, Senator Kevin Meyer, Alaska State                                                                         
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced SCR 20 on behalf of the                                                                 
sponsor. She said  the resolution proclaims April  2014 as Sexual                                                               
Assault Awareness  Month. It  is part of  a national  campaign to                                                               
raise awareness and  educate communities on the  crimes of sexual                                                               
assault and  how to prevent  sexual violence. This is  a serious,                                                               
widespread  public  health  problem  that affects  both  men  and                                                               
women. The Center  for Disease Control (CDC) reports  that one in                                                               
five  women and  one  in seventy  one men  have  been victims  of                                                               
violent sexual  assault at  some point in  their life.  In Alaska                                                               
the rates  are estimated to  be about  2.5 times higher  than the                                                               
national average, but  it's probably more than  that because many                                                               
victims don't report.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MORLEDGE  concluded  saying  that  sexual  violence  impacts                                                               
health  in many  ways  and  can lead  to  long-term physical  and                                                               
mental  health  problems.  Bringing  awareness to  the  crime  of                                                               
sexual assault by a resolution helps  to lift the veil of secrecy                                                               
that so often hides these horrific crimes, she said.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:03:06 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DYSON remarked that part of  the value of the resolution is                                                               
to increase awareness.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GIESSEL moved  to report  SCR  20, labeled  28-LS1601\A,                                                               
from committee with individual  recommendations and attached zero                                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  announced  that  without   objection,  SCR  20  was                                                               
reported from the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.