SENATE RULES COMMITTEE SR 14
Office of Senate Floor Analyses
(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) 327-4478
THIRD READING
Bill No: SR 14
Author: Cervantes (D), et al.
Amended: 4/8/25
Vote: Majority
SUBJECT: Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Denim Day
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution recognizes the month of April 2025 as Sexual Assault
Awareness Month.
Senate Floor Amendments of 3/24/25 change the date to be recognized as Denim
Day in California.
Senate Floor Amendments of 4/8/25 add a principle coauthor and regular coauthors
to the resolution.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1) People of all genders and ages are victims of sexual assault, and it is estimated
that nearly one in two women and one in five men experience sexual violence
other than rape throughout their lifetime.
2) The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey reports that there are
over 22 million survivors of rape throughout the United States, with 2 million
of those survivors of rape currently living in the State of California.
3) In 1998, the Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction of a man who
sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman after the court determined that,
“because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove
them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex”.
4) Enraged by the court decision, within a matter of hours, the women in the
Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing
jeans to work. Nations and states throughout the world have followed the lead
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of the Italian Parliament by designating their own “Denim Day” to raise public
awareness about rape and sexual assault.
5) In 2021, California joined the States of New Hampshire and Florida in fulfilling
the promise of Denim Day by approving and enacting Assembly Bill 939
Chapter 529 of the Statutes of 2021, which prohibits a survivor’s manner of
dress from serving as evidence of consent in sexual assault cases.
This resolution recognizes April 30, 2025, as Denim Day in California and
encourages everyone to wear jeans on that day to help communicate the message
that there is no excuse for, and never an invitation to commit, rape.
Related/Prior Legislation
HR 85 (Cervantes and Pellerin, 2024) – Adopted in the Assembly.
SR 89 (Rubio, 2024) – Adopted in the Senate.
HR 14 (Cervantes, 2023) – Adopted in the Assembly.
SCR 44 (Caballero, 2023) – Adopted in the Senate.
HR 81 (Cervantes, 2022) – Adopted in the Assembly.
SR 28 (Rubio, 2021) – Adopted in the Senate.
HR 38 (Carrillo, 2021) Adopted in the Assembly.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No
SUPPORT: (Verified 3/25/25)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified 3/25/25)
None received
Prepared by: Hunter Flynn / SFA / (916) 651-1520
4/9/25 15:53:10
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