WHEREAS, October is annually recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and

WHEREAS, Although progress has been made toward preventing and ending domestic violence and providing support to survivors and their families, important work remains to be done; and

WHEREAS, Policymakers and communities must work together to transform the conditions that cause domestic violence and support survivor-centered solutions; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence programs in California provide essential, lifesaving services for survivors, their children, and communities; and

WHEREAS, There is a need to provide education, awareness, and understanding of domestic violence and its causes; and

WHEREAS, There is a need to support and amplify prevention programs and community-based strategies to create healthy environments and decrease the likelihood of perpetration, thereby stopping domestic violence from occurring in the first place; and

WHEREAS, There is a need to focus on the individualized needs of domestic violence survivors; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 35 percent of women and 31 percent of men in California experience physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes; and

WHEREAS, California has higher rates of domestic violence experienced by both men and women when compared to the national average; and

WHEREAS, Women between 18 and 24 years of age are significantly more likely to be survivors of physical intimate partner violence than women in other age groups; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence affects people of all genders, sexual orientations, and ages and all racial, ethnic, cultural, social, religious, and economic groups in the United States and here in California; and

WHEREAS, The marginalization of certain groups in society, including undocumented individuals, transgender individuals, and people living with disabilities, increases their vulnerability to domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 4 out of every 10 non-Hispanic Black women, 4 out of every 10 American Indian or Alaska Native women, and one out of every two multiracial non-Hispanic women have been the victim of rape, physical violence, or stalking, or more than one of these, by an intimate partner in their lifetime. These rates are 30 to 50 percent higher than those experienced by Hispanic, White non-Hispanic women, and Asian or Pacific non-Hispanic women; and

WHEREAS, According to the American Psychological Association, women with disabilities have a 40 percent greater risk of intimate partner violence than women without disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Fifty-four percent of transgender and gender nonconforming people have experienced domestic violence in their lifetimes; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness among families in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence has a significant economic impact on women throughout the country. An estimated 8,000,000 days of paid work are lost each year as the result of intimate partner violence. Domestic violence costs $8,300,000,000 in expenses annually, a combination of higher medical costs ($5,800,000,000) and lost productivity ($2,500,000,000); and

WHEREAS, Children exposed to domestic violence can experience long-term consequences, including difficulty at school, substance abuse, behavioral problems in adolescence, and serious adult health problems; and

WHEREAS, Recognizing the need to understand the complexity of violence as perpetuated within communities and against communities, and the fear of many survivors to report to law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, Between 2021 and 2022, domestic violence shelter programs served 13,370 individuals in shelters and served 54,521 individuals through non-shelter supportive services; and

WHEREAS, There were 84 domestic violence-related homicides in California in 2022, of which 63 of the fatalities were female and 21 were male; and

WHEREAS, All survivors deserve access to culturally responsive programs and services to increase their safety and self-sufficiency; and

WHEREAS, All communities deserve access to culturally responsive prevention programs and initiatives to improve overall community health and safety by challenging the societal norms that perpetuate violence; and

WHEREAS, The Legislature recognizes the vital role that all Californians can play in preventing and one day ending domestic violence; now, therefore, be it