Memphis Standard

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn has released a video highlighting October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In her message, she urged the Senate to pass bipartisan legislation aimed at enhancing protection for women nationwide against domestic violence by the end of the year.

According to statistics, one in four women will experience physical violence from an intimate partner during their lifetime. Many women, even when isolated, continue to visit salons and build relationships with their cosmetologists. The proposed bipartisan bill, known as the SALONS Stories Act, seeks to empower beauty professionals by training them to recognize and respond to signs of domestic violence.

Senator Blackburn emphasized the importance of this initiative: "Every year, there's about 5 million occurrences of domestic violence against women age 18 and older, and there are things that we can do. There is awareness that can be built. One item we're pushing forward in the U.S. Senate is the SALONS Stories Act. This is legislation that will provide training for estheticians and beauticians so that they are able to look for the signs of domestic violence and then intercede and get help for people who are victims and need that help."

The bill has been introduced by Senators Blackburn and Duckworth as a measure to assist cosmetologists in recognizing and responding effectively to domestic violence situations.