WHEREAS, Former President Obama declared October 2016 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and

WHEREAS, President Obama declared that “When anyone is targeted by someone they place their trust in, we have a responsibility to speak up. We all have a role to play in building a bright and safe future for each other and for future generations”; and

WHEREAS, Although progress has been made toward breaking the cycle of violence and providing support to victims of domestic violence and their families, much work remains to be done; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence programs in California provide essential, lifesaving services to victims and their children who are fleeing violence; and

WHEREAS, Advocates and organizations work on behalf of victims of domestic violence every day. Domestic violence shelters and services, law enforcement officials, health care providers, court systems and legal aid providers, tribal organizations, and others are all an integral part of the effort to end domestic violence and must be recognized and applauded for their work; and

WHEREAS, Victims of domestic violence embody incredible strength and resilience; and

WHEREAS, There is a need to increase public awareness and understanding of domestic violence and the needs of victims; and

WHEREAS, Domestic violence affects women, men, and children of 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 intimate partner violence; 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, American Indian women residing on reservations suffer domestic violence and physical assault at rates 50 percent higher than women of other races and at least 70 percent of this violence is committed by persons of another race; and

WHEREAS, It is necessary to understand the complexity of domestic violence as perpetuated within communities and against communities, and the fear of many victims to report domestic violence to law enforcement; 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 as the result of intimate partner violence and domestic violence costs $8.3 billion in expenses annually—$5.8 billion in medical costs and $2.5 billion in lost productivity; and

WHEREAS, Among families, domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness; and

WHEREAS, All victims of domestic violence deserve access to culturally appropriate programs and services to increase their safety and improve their life situations; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 40 percent of women in California experience physical intimate partner violence in their lifetimes; and

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

WHEREAS, California law enforcement agencies received 162,302 domestic violence-related calls in 2015; and

WHEREAS, There were 118 domestic violence related homicides in California in 2015, of which 91 of the fatalities were female and 27 were male; and

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