House Resolution 103 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 103 BY SALMON , GUSTAFSON , BENNETT , JENEARY , SHIPLEY , WHEELER , HAGENOW , SORENSEN , THOMPSON , KURTH , BRECKENRIDGE , BROWN-POWERS , M. SMITH , OURTH , JACOBY , STAED , RUNNING-MARQUARDT , ANDERSON , WILLIAMS , and GASKILL A Resolution designating the twenty-seventh day of June 1 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day and 2 the month of June as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury 3 Awareness Month. 4 WHEREAS, all citizens of the United States possess 5 the basic human right to life, liberty, and the pursuit 6 of happiness; and 7 WHEREAS, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit 8 of happiness includes the opportunity for citizens to 9 enjoy physical, mental, and emotional well-being; and 10 WHEREAS, the diagnosis known as post-traumatic 11 stress disorder was first defined by the American 12 Psychiatric Association in 1980 to more accurately 13 understand and treat veterans who had endured severe 14 operational combat stress; and 15 WHEREAS, invisible wounds have historically been 16 unjustly portrayed as a mental illness caused by a 17 preexisting flaw of character or ability, and the word 18 “disorder” carries a stigma that perpetuates this 19 misconception which can discourage the injured from 20 seeking proper and timely medical treatment; and 21 WHEREAS, continuing to refer to invisible wounds as 22 a disorder perpetuates the stigma of and bias against 23 mental illness; and 24 -1- LSB 5658YH (2) 88 ec/rn 1/ 3

H.R. 103 WHEREAS, it has been shown through electro-magnetic 1 imaging that the invisible wound is more accurately 2 described as an injury to the brain which can develop 3 into a disorder; and 4 WHEREAS, severe post-traumatic stress injury is a 5 disabling wound to the brain which can occur following 6 exposure to extremely traumatic events such as, but 7 not exclusive to, interpersonal violence, combat, 8 life-threatening accidents, or natural disasters; and 9 WHEREAS, referring to the condition as 10 post-traumatic stress injury is less stigmatizing 11 and viewed as more honorable, and this designation 12 can favorably influence those affected and encourage 13 them to seek treatment without fear of retribution or 14 shame; and 15 WHEREAS, all citizens suffering post-traumatic 16 stress injuries deserve our compassion and 17 consideration and those brave men and women of the 18 United States Armed Forces who have received these 19 wounds in operational action against an enemy of the 20 United States further deserve our special tribute and 21 acknowledgment; and 22 WHEREAS, post-traumatic stress injury is a disabling 23 yet reversible wound that is treatable, and timely 24 treatment can diminish complications and prevent 25 suicides among the injured; NOW THEREFORE, 26 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 27 That the Iowa House of Representatives designates the 28 twenty-seventh day of June each year as Post-Traumatic 29 Stress Injury Awareness Day; and 30 -2- LSB 5658YH (2) 88 ec/rn 2/ 3

H.R. 103 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Iowa House of 1 Representatives designates the month of June as 2 Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month; and 3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Iowa House of 4 Representatives urges the Iowa Department of Public 5 Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs to 6 continue working to educate victims of interpersonal 7 violence, combat, life-threatening accidents, or 8 natural disasters and their families, as well as 9 the general public, about the causes, symptoms, and 10 treatment of post-traumatic stress injuries; and 11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this 12 Resolution be transmitted to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds 13 for appropriate proclamation and execution and to 14 Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate for appropriate 15 publication and preservation. 16 -3- LSB 5658YH (2) 88 ec/rn 3/ 3