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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This joint resolution of the Legislature designates June 27, 2017, as Post-Traumatic
11 Stress Injury Awareness Day.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ designates June 27, 2017, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day in the
15 state of Utah; and
16 ▸ urges the Department of Health and the Department of Veterans and Military
17 Affairs to continue working to educate service members, veterans and their families,
18 and victims of abuse, crime, and natural disaster, as well as the general public,
19 about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress injury.
20 Special Clauses:
21 None
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23 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24 WHEREAS, all citizens of the United States possess the basic human right to the
25 preservation of personal dignity;
26 WHEREAS, all citizens of the United States deserve the investment of every possible
27 resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and emotional well-being;
28 WHEREAS, the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who
29 proudly serve the United States risk their lives to protect our freedom;
30 WHEREAS, the diagnosis now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was
31 first defined by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980 to commonly and more
32 accurately understand and treat veterans who had endured severe traumatic combat stress;
33 WHEREAS, combat stress has historically been viewed as a mental illness caused by a
34 pre-existing flaw of character and/or ability;
35 WHEREAS, the word "disorder" carries a stigma that perpetuates this misconception;
36 WHEREAS, post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) can occur after experiencing a severely
37 traumatic event to include, but not be exclusive to, sexual assault, child abuse, high-impact
38 collisions and crashes, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and military combat;
39 WHEREAS, PTSI is a very common injury to the brain that is treatable and repairable;
40 WHEREAS, referring to the complications from post-traumatic stress as a disorder
41 perpetuates the stigma of and bias against mental illness, and this stigma can discourage the
42 injured from seeking proper and timely medical treatment;
43 WHEREAS, making PTSI less stigmatizing and more honorable can favorably
44 influence those affected and encourage them to seek help without fear of retribution or shame;
45 WHEREAS, proper and timely treatment can diminish suicide rates; and
46 WHEREAS, all citizens suffering from PTSI deserve compassion and consideration,
47 and those who have received these wounds in action against an enemy of the United States
48 deserve tribute and acknowledgment:
49 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
50 designates June 27, 2017, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day in the state of Utah.
51 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah urges the
52 Department of Health and the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs to continue
53 working to educate service members, veterans and their families, and victims of abuse, crime,
54 and natural disaster, as well as the general public, about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of
55 post-traumatic stress injury.
56 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah
57 Department of Health and the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel