Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim February 24, 2025, as Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Day in the State of New York
This resolution memorializes Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim February 24, 2025, as Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Day in New York State. It is a commemorative measure rather than a regulatory bill, and its text is largely a statement of findings describing the prevalence, forms, and impacts of domestic violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, technological, and economic abuse.
The resolution highlights domestic violence as a widespread public health, safety, and equity issue affecting people across all demographics, while emphasizing disproportionate impacts on Black communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, Native American and Alaska Native women, youth, and children exposed to violence in the home or dating relationships. It also underscores the role of domestic violence advocates, prevention programs, and survivor services, and calls for continued investment in those supports.
In terms of state-law impact, the measure does not amend the Penal Law, Family Court Act, Social Services Law, or any other statute. Instead, it seeks an executive proclamation and transmits the resolution to the Governor and the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, functioning as a symbolic recognition and awareness effort.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly supportive of survivors, advocates, and prevention efforts. The resolution frames domestic violence as a serious and urgent problem in New York, citing high service demand, protection-order volume, hotline calls, and intimate partner homicides to justify the observance and to encourage public attention and continued state investment.
There is little visible controversy in the available record because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes. Any potential point of contention would likely concern the broader policy implications of the resolution’s call for increased state investment and its emphasis on systemic racism, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ and racial equity in domestic violence prevention, but the bill itself is nonbinding and ceremonial.
This resolution has no direct legal effect on New York statutes or agency authority. It does not create new crimes, rights, penalties, funding mandates, or reporting requirements; instead, it requests a gubernatorial proclamation designating a day of awareness and prevention and formally communicates that request to the Governor and the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Its practical impact is symbolic and advocacy-oriented, intended to elevate public awareness and support for domestic violence prevention and survivor services.
The overall sentiment is strongly supportive and commemorative. The resolution presents domestic violence as a serious statewide crisis and praises advocates, service providers, and prevention efforts, while urging continued attention to survivors’ needs. Because there are no committee transcripts or votes provided, there is no recorded opposition in the available materials, and the measure appears to have been framed as a consensus awareness resolution.
No specific contention appears in the provided record, and there are no committee debates or votes to indicate disagreement. If any concerns were raised, they would most likely relate to the resolution’s broader policy framing—particularly its references to systemic racism, LGBTQ+ impacts, gender equality, and the need for increased state investment in services—but those issues are presented in the text as factual context rather than as disputed provisions. As a memorializing resolution, it is not itself a vehicle for substantive legal change, which also limits likely controversy.