00 Enrolled HCR 3                                                                                                          
01 Relating to proclaiming April of 2007 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.                                                
02                                        _______________                                                                  
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                             
04      WHEREAS sexual assault is one of the most devastating crimes in society today; and                               
05      WHEREAS Alaska has the highest per capita occurrence of sexual assault in the                                    
06 nation; and                                                                                                             
07      WHEREAS sexual assault affects women, children, and men of all racial, cultural,                                 
08 and economic backgrounds; and                                                                                           
09      WHEREAS one out of six women has been raped; and                                                                 
10      WHEREAS one out of 33 men has been sexually assaulted; and                                                       
11      WHEREAS the incidence of rape in Alaska is 2.5 times the national average; and                                   
12      WHEREAS only one out of every six rapes is ever reported to law enforcement                                      
13 agencies, making rape the most underreported violent crime in America; and                                              
14      WHEREAS child sexual abuse results in exceptional trauma to the victims and in the                               
15 loss of childhood innocence; and                                                                                        
16      WHEREAS these statistics do not include the countless numbers of family members,                                 
17 loved ones, co-workers, and neighbors affected by the devastating crime of sexual assault; and                          
01      WHEREAS many residents of Alaska work to provide quality services and assistance                                 
02 to sexual assault survivors; dedicated volunteers and professionals respond to emergency calls                          
03 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering support, comfort, and advocacy throughout all stages                             
04 of the recovery process, including medical examinations and criminal proceedings; and                                   
05      WHEREAS building awareness that sexual assault is a problem in every Alaska                                      
06 community and that alerting the public to services that can help victims and loved ones of                              
07 victims of sexual assault is a crucial component to addressing the issue; and                                           
08      WHEREAS it is our goal to improve Alaska's response to sexual assault and to                                     
09 support and enhance educational efforts to provide information about sexual assault and the                             
10 services available to victim survivors and their loved ones;                                                            
11      BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the                                       
12 governor to proclaim the month of April 2007 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and be it                               
13      FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges secondary schools,                                      
14 community organizations, and other public and private agencies and individuals to observe                               
15 Sexual Assault Awareness Month with suitable activities that increase public awareness of the                           
16 prevalence of sexual assault and how it can be combated in Alaska.