Supporting the goals and ideals of National Campus Safety Awareness Month.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 15) supporting the goals and ideals of National Campus Safety Awareness Month, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 15, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

House Resolution 15 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that it support the goals and ideals of a National Campus Safety Awareness Month.

Each fall, thousands of freshmen begin their college careers without taking the adequate precautions to protect themselves from real-world threats to their safety. Students often do not think about dangers like theft, date rape, assault, or even other more serious invasions of privacy and more serious crimes.

According to the nonprofit organization Security on Campus, between one-fifth and one-quarter of female students become the victims of an attempted rape during their college careers. Often it is by someone they know. In addition, each year more than 600,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking; and 1,400 students die from alcohol-related injuries, including motor vehicle crashes.

Some may remember the story of Jeanne Ann Clery. On April 5, 1986, Jeanne was tortured, raped and murdered at her dormitory room at Lehigh University. Her killer was a Lehigh student whom Jeanne had never met. He was also an abuser of drugs and alcohol. Her killer was able to enter her room because three doors which should have been locked were propped open.

Shortly after her death, it was revealed that America's colleges and universities reported only 4 percent of crime statistics. Because of this, Congress passed the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which requires colleges and universities to fully report the number of crimes that occur on their campuses each year so that parents and students can know what the safety situation is and the crime situation is on particular college campuses.

Before that act was passed, many colleges and universities tried to cover up what was a truly serious situation, and almost every college that has had a serious problem has attempted to do more and better in this area in enforcing the laws on campuses since that act was passed.

The statistics reported since then have been very unsettling, however. As proof, a total of 86 homicides, 7,648 sex offenses, 9,649 aggravated assaults, and 3,590 arsons were reported on campuses from 2000 to 2002. These incidents occur on campuses of all sizes all over the country.

In August of 1988, Tommy Baer, a student at the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus in my district, was fatally stabbed in the doorway of his fraternity house. His death was senseless. The person who stabbed Tommy was belligerently drunk and had been harassing people inside the house for most of the night. Even as we speak, most people have heard about the tragic case of Taylor Behl, who may be the latest young person living on a campus victimized by someone.

This resolution's support of September as National Campus Safety Awareness month will help make incoming college freshmen aware that these types of dangers are out there. Adoption of this resolution also provides an opportunity for colleges to inform students about existing campus crime trends, campus security policies, crime prevention techniques, fire safety and alcohol and other drug education, prevention, and treatment programs.

Madam Speaker, by adopting H. Res. 15, the House of Representatives could send the message that it takes the issue of campus crime very seriously and supports greater student awareness.

I would like to thank the Student Government Association of the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay and the nonprofit organization Security on Campus, especially, for their efforts on behalf of this legislation.

Finally, Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) for his support and assistance with H. Res. 15. I urge its adoption.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support the adoption of H. Res. 15, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join in support of H. Res. 15, supporting the goals and ideals of National Campus Safety Awareness Month.

The first weeks of college are an amazing time for young people in America. As a matter of fact, I was jokingly thinking to myself of a few years ago when I first entered. College represents the culmination of years of hard work by both students and their families.

For most, going to college is a student's first time away from home. Unfortunately, a time that should be full of joy and eager anticipation for college students is also a very dangerous time. This time has been dubbed the ``red zone'' by some because of the risk of becoming a victim of campus crime being so high.

Each year, over 600,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of crimes and accidents on college campuses. In addition, the cost of public and private property damage that results from campus crime is in the millions.

Sexual and physical assaults are particularly rampant on college campuses, placing females at greater risk. Nearly one-quarter of all female college students are victims of either attempted rape or rape during their college years. The majority of these assaults are committed by people those women know. Students are more likely to become victims of crimes or have accidents when alcohol is involved.

Security on Campus, Incorporated, is a national nonprofit organization that works to eliminate campus crime. The organization provides legal advice to victims of campus crime, works to secure campus improvements that reduce safety and security risks, and provides programs that help reduce the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

Fueled by a desire to help secure our Nation's college campuses and by the knowledge that the public is unaware of the scope of safety issues that exist on campuses, Security on Campus, Incorporated, declared September to be National Campus Safety Awareness Month. I support this action as a concerned citizen and as a parent. The need for safer environments in our Nation's colleges and universities is critical to the success of our youth.

Madam Speaker, I support H. Res. 15 because I feel that the issue of campus

safety is of national importance. I want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee for his introduction of this resolution and for his thoughtfulness in making us aware of this issue and raising the awareness around campus safety.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.