119-hres99

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 99 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 99

 Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking by 
 designating January 2025 as ``National Stalking Awareness Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 4, 2025

Mr. Fitzpatrick (for himself and Mrs. Dingell) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Raising awareness and encouraging the prevention of stalking by 
 designating January 2025 as ``National Stalking Awareness Month''.

Whereas, approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the United States, at some 
 point during their lifetimes, have experienced stalking victimization, 
 causing them to feel very fearful, threatened, or concerned for their 
 own safety or the safety of others;
Whereas it is estimated that, each year, over 13,400,000 individuals in the 
 United States report that they have been victims of stalking;
Whereas more than 80 percent of victims of stalking report that they have been 
 stalked by a current or former intimate partner or acquaintance;
Whereas nearly 70 percent of female stalking victims and 80 percent of male 
 stalking victims are threatened with physical harm by stalkers;
Whereas stalking is a risk factor for intimate partner homicide;
Whereas 3 in 4 female victims of intimate partner homicides were stalked during 
 the year preceding the homicide by their killers;
Whereas 11 percent of victims of stalking report having been stalked for 5 or 
 more years;
Whereas 2 in 3 stalkers pursue their victims at least once a week;
Whereas many victims of stalking are forced to take drastic measures to protect 
 themselves, including relocating, changing jobs, or obtaining protection 
 orders;
Whereas the prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe 
 depression is much higher among victims of stalking than the general 
 population;
Whereas many victims of stalking do not report stalking to the police or contact 
 a victim service provider, shelter, or hotline;
Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law, the laws of all 50 States, the 
 District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States, and the 
 Uniform Code of Military Justice;
Whereas stalking affects victims of every race, age, culture, gender, sexual 
 orientation, physical and mental ability, and economic status;
Whereas national organizations, local victim service organizations, college and 
 university campuses, prosecutor's offices, and police departments stand 
 ready to assist victims of stalking and are working diligently to 
 develop effective and innovative responses to stalking, including online 
 stalking;
Whereas there is a need to improve the response of the criminal justice system 
 to stalking through more aggressive investigation and prosecution;
Whereas there is a need for an increase in the availability of victim services 
 across the United States, and those services must include programs 
 tailored to meet the needs of victims of stalking;
Whereas individuals between 18 and 24 years old experience the highest rates of 
 stalking victimization, and a majority of stalking victims report their 
 victimization first occurred before the age of 25;
Whereas 43 percent of women in college who experience stalking by an intimate 
 partner also experience sexual or physical assault;
Whereas college students with disabilities are twice as likely as college 
 students without disabilities to experience stalking;
Whereas there is a need for an effective response to stalking on each college 
 and university campus;
Whereas 80 percent of stalking victims report being stalked with technology, 
 such as phone calls, text messages, social media platforms, internet 
 posts, emails, and electronic tracking;
Whereas victims of technology-facilitated stalking often report higher fear than 
 victims who experience in-person stalking, and are just as concerned for 
 their safety;
Whereas January 2025 marks the 21st anniversary of the first ``National Stalking 
 Awareness Month''; and
Whereas the House of Representatives finds that ``National Stalking Awareness 
 Month'' provides an opportunity to educate the people of the United 
 States about stalking: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) designates ``National Stalking Awareness Month'';

    (2) applauds the efforts of service providers, police 
 departments, prosecutor's offices, national and community 
 organizations, colleges and universities, and private sector 
 entities that combat stalking, support victims, and bring 
 awareness to this crime;

    (3) encourages policymakers, criminal justice officials, 
 victim service and human service agencies, institutions of 
 higher education, and nonprofit organizations to increase 
 awareness of stalking and continue to support the availability 
 of services for victims of stalking; and

    (4) urges national and community organizations, businesses 
 in the private sector, and the media to promote awareness of 
 the crime of stalking through ``National Stalking Awareness 
 Month''.
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