Bill Text: TX HR681 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Honoring SAFE on the occasion of Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2023.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-04-05 - Reported enrolled [HR681 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR681-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 681 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in | ||
| April 2023 provides a fitting opportunity to recognize SAFE for its | ||
| outstanding work in Central Texas; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A nonprofit organization, SAFE is dedicated to | ||
| providing safety, stability, and healing to anyone who has | ||
| experienced violence and abuse, including survivors of sexual | ||
| assault, trafficking, domestic violence, and child abuse and | ||
| neglect; it offers a round-the-clock helpline, shelter and housing | ||
| to escape immediate risk, and a charter school that is a secure | ||
| place for daycare and education; in addition, it encompasses an | ||
| on-site sexual assault clinic; among other initiatives, it sponsors | ||
| a dedicated program for survivors of sex trafficking as well as | ||
| prevention programs to empower people to choose healthy | ||
| relationships; and | ||
| WHEREAS, SAFE traces its origins back some 45 years, when the | ||
| Austin Rape Crisis Center and the Center for Battered Women were | ||
| founded; as those agencies expanded their services, they joined | ||
| forces in 1998 to establish SafePlace; its mission dovetailed with | ||
| that of the Austin Children's Shelter, and in more recent years, the | ||
| organizations merged into SAFE to better address the complex issues | ||
| of violence and abuse; today, SAFE has an annual budget of more than | ||
| $20 million, over 350 employees, and thousands of volunteers; its | ||
| prevention and crisis programs operate across multiple campuses and | ||
| in schools, hospitals, courts, and county offices; and | ||
| WHEREAS, During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, SAFE is | ||
| hosting an exhibition titled "What Was I Wearing" to challenge the | ||
| belief that the clothes a person wears determine their likelihood | ||
| of experiencing a sexual assault; outfits displayed are accompanied | ||
| by the stories of survivors, conveying the message that sexual | ||
| assault is always the sole fault of the perpetrator, not the person | ||
| who suffered harm; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Sexual Assault Awareness Month highlights the | ||
| accomplishments of a movement that has effected positive change, | ||
| including passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1993, while | ||
| reminding the public that sexual assault, harassment, and abuse | ||
| remain far too prevalent in our society; through the tireless | ||
| endeavors of its staff and volunteers, SAFE exemplifies the | ||
| progress the movement has achieved and the commitment to ending the | ||
| cycle of violence; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby honor SAFE on the occasion of Sexual Assault | ||
| Awareness Month 2023 and extend to all those associated with the | ||
| organization sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for SAFE as an expression of high regard by the Texas House | ||
| of Representatives. | ||
| Hinojosa | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 681 was adopted by the House on April | ||
| 5, 2023, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
