PRINTER'S NO. 3702
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 548
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HILL-EVANS, VENKAT, SOLOMON,
SCHLOSSBERG, McNEILL, KHAN, GIRAL, HOHENSTEIN, WAXMAN,
BURGOS, WEBSTER, MAYES, SANCHEZ, GREEN, HOWARD, DALEY AND
KENYATTA, OCTOBER 1, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, OCTOBER 1, 2024
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of October 13 through 19, 2024, as
2 "Military Sexual Trauma Survivor Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, The United States Department of Defense's 2023
4 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military revealed in
5 stark detail that sexual assault and sexual harassment remain
6 persistent and distressing problems in our military; and
7 WHEREAS, There were 8,515 service member sexual assault
8 reports in fiscal year 2023; and
9 WHEREAS, On average, only one out of every four service
10 members who were sexually assaulted came forward to report the
11 assault in 2023; and
12 WHEREAS, The Department of Defense has made new efforts to
13 encourage reporting, which has increased the number of reports
14 in recent years; and
15 WHEREAS, The Department of Defense credits this increase in
16 reporting to the alignment of the Sexual Assault Prevention and
 1 Response policy with a culture of promoting transparency and
2 prioritizing victim assistance in our military; and
3 WHEREAS, Although women comprise approximately 20% of the
4 United States Armed Forces, completed investigations in 2023
5 showed 75% of military sexual assault victims were female; and
6 WHEREAS, Sexual assault in the military is not only a woman's
7 issue; and
8 WHEREAS, In the last few decades, more than 100,000 men have
9 been sexually assaulted in the military; and
10 WHEREAS, In today's military, sexual assault and misconduct
11 persist despite ongoing efforts within the military to stop
12 sexual assaults, punish perpetrators and care for survivors; and
13 WHEREAS, Victims of military sexual assault are less likely
14 to be eligible for veterans benefits compared to those injured
15 in battle despite the trauma they experience; and
16 WHEREAS, While some military sexual assault survivors may
17 choose to stay in the military, the psychological impact of the
18 assault and resulting trauma can push survivors out of the
19 service and lead to tremendous difficulty readjusting to their
20 civilian lives; and
21 WHEREAS, Survivors of military sexual assault often decide
22 not to report the assault for the reasons of embarrassment, fear
23 and shame and professional and personal implications; and
24 WHEREAS, The military's culture of duty, teamwork, strength
25 and accomplishment conflicts with military sexual assault
26 survivors' needs, resulting in them being stigmatized as weak or
27 failing their fellow service members; and
28 WHEREAS, The uniqueness of military life causes additional
29 anxiety to a sexual assault survivor and complicates the
30 survivor's life, which may result in lack of promotion or
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 1 removal from service; and
2 WHEREAS, The personal stories of survivors underscore the
3 need for meaningful change to provide healing to those affected
4 by military sexual assault trauma through adequate medical and
5 mental health services; and
6 WHEREAS, To highlight the epidemic of sexual assault in the
7 United States Armed Forces, policymakers should initiate an
8 examination of military culture and military justice at the
9 Statewide level; and
10 WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, the Department of Military and
11 Veterans Affairs, local veterans' centers and United States
12 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers are able to offer
13 resources for military sexual assault survivors; and
14 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives must honor the
15 strength, resolve and perseverance of military sexual assault
16 survivors and work urgently to end sexual violence in the
17 military throughout this Commonwealth; therefore be it
18 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
19 week of October 13 through 19, 2024, as "Military Sexual Trauma
20 Survivor Week" in Pennsylvania.
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