H.R. 1 Enrolled

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 General Description:
9 This resolution of the House of Representatives urges that age appropriate materials on
10 family violence prevention be made available in Utah's public schools and that state
11 government continue community partnerships to help youth prevent family and dating
12 violence.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This resolution:
15 . encourages the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah State Board of
16 Regents, as resources permit, to ensure that all middle school, junior high, senior
17 high, and post-secondary education programs in the state provide timely and age
18 appropriate materials on the dangers of family and dating violence, how to identify
19 the problem, how to get help, and how to provide support for friends or siblings
20 caught in an abusive situation; and
21 . encourages the Department of Human Services to ensure, as resources permit, that
22 high risk families receive violence prevention services, which research has shown
23 significantly reduces the incidence of child abuse and domestic violence while
24 providing the Utah taxpayer with a significant cost benefit advantage.
25 Special Clauses:
26 None
27
28 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the state of Utah:
29 WHEREAS, the violence, suffering, and death resulting from family and dating

30 violence have devastated an alarming number of Utah's families;
31 WHEREAS, the tragedy of family and dating violence has a generational impact on
32 children and youth;
33 WHEREAS, as with so many societal ills, preventing family violence and dating
34 violence is essential;
35 WHEREAS, age appropriate late elementary, middle school, junior high, senior high,
36 and post-secondary education programs should be evaluated by public and higher education to
37 determine whether adequate prevention programs are in place at each level;
38 WHEREAS, each Utah school district, in cooperation with community partners, should
39 determine if an improved prevention effort should be implemented to better educate these age
40 groups on the dangers of family and dating violence and the skills needed to avoid them, both
41 now and later in life;
42 WHEREAS, the future that Utah's children enjoy will hinge, in part, on whether they
43 are armed with the knowledge, skills, and willpower to avoid family and dating violence; and
44 WHEREAS, providing research-based prevention services have shown a significant
45 reduction in family violence and a significant savings to taxpayers:
46 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
47 state of Utah encourages the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah State Board of
48 Regents to ensure, as resources permit, that all middle school, junior high, senior high, and
49 post-secondary education programs in the state review their current family violence and dating
50 violence prevention efforts in partnership with Utah families, state government, the business
51 community, city and county governments, private nonprofit organizations, and the religious
52 community to provide timely and age appropriate materials and services and to prevent the
53 needless suffering and taxpayers' burdens generated by family and dating violence.
54 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives encourages the
55 Department of Human Services to ensure, as resources permit, that high risk families receive
56 violence prevention services to reduce the incidents of child abuse and domestic violence.
57 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah

58 Department of Human Services, the Utah State Board of Education, the Utah State Board of
59 Regents, the Utah School Boards Association, and the Utah School Superintendents
60 Association.