H.R. 1

1

HEALTHY FAMILY PARTNERSHIP HOUSE
2 RESOLUTION
3 2010 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Curtis Oda
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 Committee Note:
9 The Health and Human Services Interim Committee recommended this bill.
10 General Description:
11 This resolution of the House of Representatives urges that age appropriate materials on
12 family violence prevention be made available in Utah's public schools and that state
13 government continue community partnerships to help youth prevent family and dating
14 violence.
15 Highlighted Provisions:
16 This resolution:
17 . encourages the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah State Board of Regents,
18 as resources permit, to ensure that all middle school, junior high, senior high, and
19 post-secondary education programs in the state provide timely and age appropriate
20 materials on the dangers of family and dating violence, how to identify the problem,
21 how to get help, and how to provide support for friends or siblings caught in an
22 abusive situation; and
23 . encourages the Department of Human Services to ensure, as resources permit, that
24 high risk families receive violence prevention services, which research has shown
25 significantly reduces the incidence of child abuse and domestic violence while
26 providing the Utah taxpayer with a significant cost benefit advantage.
27 Special Clauses:

28 None
29
30 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
31 WHEREAS, the violence, suffering, and death resulting from family and dating
32 violence have devastated an alarming number of Utah's families;
33 WHEREAS, the tragedy of family and dating violence has a generational impact on
34 children and youth;
35 WHEREAS, as with so many societal ills, preventing family violence and dating
36 violence is essential;
37 WHEREAS, age appropriate late elementary, middle school, junior high, senior high,
38 and post-secondary education programs should be evaluated by public and higher education to
39 determine whether adequate prevention programs are in place at each level;
40 WHEREAS, each Utah school district, in cooperation with community partners, should
41 determine if an improved prevention effort should be implemented to better educate these age
42 groups on the dangers of family and dating violence and the skills needed to avoid them, both
43 now and later in life;
44 WHEREAS, the future that Utah's children enjoy will hinge, in part, on whether they
45 are armed with the knowledge, skills, and willpower to avoid family and dating violence; and
46 WHEREAS, providing research-based prevention services have shown a significant
47 reduction in family violence and a significant savings to taxpayers:
48 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
49 state of Utah encourages the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah State Board of
50 Regents to ensure, as resources permit, that all middle school, junior high, senior high, and
51 post-secondary education programs in the state review their current family violence and dating
52 violence prevention efforts in partnership with Utah families, state government, the business
53 community, city and county governments, private nonprofit organizations, and the religious
54 community to provide timely and age appropriate materials and services and to prevent the
55 needless suffering and taxpayers' burdens generated by family and dating violence.
56 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives encourages the
57 Department of Human Services to ensure, as resources permit, that high risk families receive
58 violence prevention services to reduce the incidents of child abuse and domestic violence.

59 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah
60 Department of Human Services, the Utah State Board of Education, the Utah State Board of
61 Regents, the Utah School Boards Association, and the Utah School Superintendents
62 Association.




Legislative Review Note
as of 5-21-09 10:32 AM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel