This is not an official government website.
© 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Congressional Daily Record
This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions legislation such as Recognizing April 29, 2026, as "Denim Day" and honoring survivors of sexual assault., committees such as Committee on the Judiciary.
Issued
April 29, 2026
senate side of the record
People
0
No members linked from this section
Legislation
1
Bills and resolutions linked from this section
Committees
1
Committees connected to this section
Senate Holds
0
No hold activity linked here
Source Document
Connected Data
Bills and resolutions
Committees
Source Control
Reader mode is for comprehension. The linked government PDF is the official published source.
Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextSUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
SENATE RESOLUTION 698—RECOGNIZING APRIL 29, 2026, AS “DENIM DAY” AND
HONORING SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
Ms. BALDWIN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 698
Whereas sexual assault affects individuals of every age,
race, gender, socioeconomic
background, and community across the United States;
Whereas Denim Day began following a 1998 decision by the
Italian Supreme Court that overturned a rape conviction based
on the victim's clothing, prompting widespread outrage and a
call to action;
Whereas, in response, members of the California Senate wore
denim on the steps of the capital in solidarity with the
survivor and to protest misconceptions surrounding sexual
violence;
Whereas Executive Director/CEO of Peace Over Violence Patti
Giggans founded Denim Day in 1999;
Whereas Peace Over Violence, a Los Angeles-based sexual and
domestic violence, intimate partner stalking, child abuse,
and youth violence prevention center has continuously
advocated for survivors of such violence since its inception
in 1971, providing emergency, intervention, prevention,
education, and advocacy services in Los Angeles and the West
San Gabriel Valley;
Whereas Denim Day has since grown into a national and
international movement led by Peace Over Violence,
encouraging communities to make a social statement with their
fashion statement and wear denim as a visible means of
protest against victim-blaming and harmful myths and lies
about sexual assault, occurring annually the last Wednesday
of April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month;
Whereas wearing denim on Denim Day is a symbol of
solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and serves as a
statement that clothing, behavior, or appearance never
constitutes consent;
Whereas wearing denim on Denim Day spreads the signature
Denim Day message that states there is no excuse and
someone's clothing, behavior, or appearance is never an
invitation to harass, abuse, assault, or rape;
Whereas Denim Day is a call to action for survivors to be
heard, respected, and have access to trauma-informed
services, healing, and justice;
Whereas, in the United States, over half of women and
almost 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving
physical contact during their lifetime;
Whereas more than 4 in 5 female rape survivors reported
that they were first raped before age 25, and almost half
were first raped as a minor;
Whereas recent estimates put the lifetime cost of rape at
$122,461 per survivor, including medical costs, lost
productivity, criminal justice activities, and other costs;
Whereas, every 68 seconds somewhere in the United States,
someone is sexually assaulted, and every 9 minutes that
victim is a child;
Whereas nearly 1 in 10 women has been raped by an intimate
partner;
Whereas 6 out of 10 rapes are committed by someone who knew
the victim;
Whereas 82 percent of sexual assaults committed by a friend
or acquaintance are not reported to the police;
Whereas only 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up
in prison;
Whereas 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted while in
college;
Whereas 15,000 to 19,000 people with developmental
disabilities are raped each year in the United States;
Whereas 1 out of 10 rape victims are men;
Whereas 44 percent of sexual assault and rape victims are
under the age of 18;
Whereas victims of sexual assault are 3 times more likely
to suffer from depression, 6 times more likely to suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse
alcohol, 26 times more likely to abuse drugs, and 4 times
more likely to contemplate suicide;
Whereas 47 percent of transgender people are sexually
assaulted at some point in their life;
Whereas sexual violence affects Black women at
disproportionately high rates;
Whereas more than 20 percent of Black women are raped
during their lifetimes, a higher share than among women
overall, which is 18 percent;
Whereas 56.1 percent and over 1,500,000 American Indian and
Alaska Native women have experienced sexual violence;
Whereas it is essential to raise awareness about sexual
violence in all its forms, promote prevention efforts,
support survivor-centered policies, and foster a culture of
respect, dignity, and accountability; and
Whereas recognizing Denim Day provides an opportunity to
reaffirm Congress's commitment to supporting survivors,
holding offenders accountable, and advancing education and
resources to prevent sexual violence: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) recognizes April 29, 2026, as “Denim Day” and
supports the goals and ideals of Denim Day to raise awareness
of sexual assault and combat victim-blaming;
(2) honors the strength, resilience, and courage of
survivors of sexual assault and affirms the right of all
individuals to live free from violence, harassment, and
abuse;
(3) expresses solidarity with survivors and their families,
and supports their access to comprehensive, trauma-informed,
culturally competent services, including medical care, mental
health support, legal assistance, and advocacy;
(4) reaffirms that clothing, appearance, or behavior never
constitute consent and condemns all forms of victim-blaming;
(5) supports efforts to improve the reporting,
investigation, and prosecution of sexual assault cases while
ensuring survivor-centered and trauma-informed approaches
throughout the justice process;
(6) recognizes the importance of addressing disparities in
sexual violence affecting marginalized and vulnerable
populations, including teenagers, children, women of color,
Indigenous communities, individuals with disabilities, and
LGBTQIA2+ individuals;
(7) calls on Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial
governments to strengthen policies, funding, and programs
that prevent sexual violence and support survivors; and
(8) urges continued collaboration among policymakers,
advocacy organizations, law enforcement, and communities to
end sexual violence and ensure accountability for
perpetrators.