Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act

The Survivors' Bill of Rights Act of 2016 (Pub.L. 114–236) is a piece of legislation that was passed by the United States Congress in September 2016 and signed into law by US President Barack Obama on October 7, 2016.[1] The law overhauls the way that rape kits are processed within the United States and creates a bill of rights for victims. Through the law, survivors of sexual assault are given the right to have a rape kit preserved for the length of the case's statute of limitations, to be notified of an evidence kit's destruction, and to be informed about results of forensic exams.[1] The main aim is to overhaul how assaults are reported, and lessen the burden on those who were assaulted, who are often discouraged by the amount of hurdles that they have to go through.[2][3][4]

Legislative history

Bill Introduction

S.2613 - Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act of 2016 was introduced by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on March 1, 2016. The Sections 5, 6, and 7 of this bill stipulated statutory rights for sexual assault survivors. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where it was ordered to be reported to the Senate floor on April 14, 2016.[5]

Passage in the Senate

The Senate passed the bill unanimously on May 23, 2016. The Yea-Nay vote count was 89 - 0.[6] The bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary on May 24, 2016.

Passage in the House

H.R.5578 - Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016 was introduced by Mimi Walters (R-CA-45) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-10 ) on June 24, 2016.[7] Unlike S. 2613, this bill solely focused upon the statutory rights for sexual assault survivors. The bill was ordered to be reported to the House floor on July 7, 2016. The House passed the bill unanimously on September 6, 2016.[8] The Yea-Nay vote count was 399 - 0.[9] Speaker Paul Ryan held a press conference and discussed the bipartisan vote.[10] The bill was then sent to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. [9] The Senate then passed H.R. 5578 on September 28, 2016

Bill Signing

The Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016 was signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 7, 2016, which is now Public Law No: 114-236.[11] The signing of the historic law trended on social media and became a Twitter Moment.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/5578/text
  2. ↑ Prakash, Nidhi (24 February 2016). "This bill could change how the legal system treats survivors of sexual assault". Fusion. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Arter, Neesha (4 February 2016). "Navigating the broken system was worse than the rape itself". New York Times. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  4. ↑ Redden, Molly (23 February 2016). "Meet the 24-year-old who could change how the US handles sexual assaults". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "S.2613 - Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act of 2016". Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Advocates Praise Senate Bill on Sexual Assault Victims’ Rights". Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Two California congresswomen are behind the new Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights". Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Historic Bill Of Rights For Survivors Of Sexual Assault Is Heading To Obama’s Desk". Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "H.R.5578 - Survivors' Bill of Rights Act of 2016". Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Speaker Ryan Discusses Survivors' Rights, #BetterWay Initiatives". Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Sexual assault survivor rallies to get rape kits on the map". Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  12. ↑ "POTUS signs Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights into law". Retrieved November 23, 2016.

External links

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