IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 230 

Encouraging State-by-State adoption of a sexual assault survivors’ bill of 

rights. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 29, 2015 

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (for herself, Mrs. WAGNER, Ms. MOORE, Mrs. 

LUMMIS, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. VARGAS, 

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, and Mr. KING of New York) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging State-by-State adoption of a sexual assault 

survivors’ bill of rights. 

Whereas sexual assault is a transgression against the dignity, 

bodily integrity, and fundamental rights of human beings; 

Whereas the Department of Justice reports that 300,170 

people in the United States are sexually assaulted each 

year, which is the equivalent of one person every 105 seconds; 

Whereas sexual assault is a vastly underreported crime in the 

United States, with the Rape, Abuse, Incest, National 

Network estimating that fewer than one in three survivors report the attack to law enforcement; 


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Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC) estimates that one in five women in the United 

States will be the victim of an attempted or completed 

rape in her lifetime; 

Whereas sexual assault affects women, men, and children of 

all racial, social, religious, age, ethnic, and economic 

groups; 

Whereas notice and access to information, fair and efficient 

legal procedures, responsible and accountable survivor advocacy, and fair administration and efficient processing 

of sexual assault evidence collection kits (‘‘rape kits’’) 

are, among others, fundamental rights for survivors; 

Whereas notice and access to information are necessary to inform survivors of critical matters, including their basic 

legal rights, the contents of their law enforcement report, 

the availability of local rape crisis centers, and the final 

disposition of their case; 

Whereas fair and efficient legal procedures are essential to 

protect survivors against unreasonable barriers that obstruct entry into the justice system and to empower survivors and thereby reduce the underreporting of sexual 

assault; 

Whereas responsible and accountable survivor advocacy is 

critical to prevent unintentional secondary traumatization 

of survivors; 

Whereas the fair administration and efficient processing of 

rape kits are vital to eliminate the national backlog of 

hundreds of thousands of unsubmitted and untested rape 

kits; 


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Whereas all citizens should have an opportunity to avail 

themselves of these crucial rights, which currently only 

some States formally recognize by law; 

Whereas not having comprehensive and survivor-centered 

legal and civil protections in place can result in obstruction of justice for survivors, re-victimization of the survivor, and a deterrence of survivors to come forward; 

Whereas people in every State urgently deserve a comprehensive Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights so that access to justice does not depend on geography; 

Whereas the United States Government is a global leader in 

protecting its people’s rights to liberty and equality; and 

Whereas April is recognized as ‘‘National Sexual Assault 

Awareness and Prevention Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) encourages the adoption of a comprehensive 

3 State-level Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights 

4 that upholds core United States values and— 

5 (A) seeks to ensure equality under the law, 

6 thereby ensuring that all survivors of sexual as7 sault obtain the equal measure of justice in 

8 every State; 

9 (B) protects personal liberty, by respecting 

10 survivors’ personal autonomy in the aftermath 

11 of an assault that has already violated their 

12 bodily integrity, and reaffirming the inalienable 

13 nature of their rights to notice, efficiency, and 

14 fairness; 


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1 (C) ensures universally agreed-upon rights, 

2 which find their basis in strong legal precedent, 

3 which do not infringe upon the rights of the ac4 cused, and which constitute a nonpartisan, non5 controversial approach to a complex issue; 

6 (D) complements existing State and Fed7 eral statutory language regarding sexual assault 

8 and encourages more survivors to report their 

9 assaults, thereby increasing the impact of exist10 ing State and Federal statutory language; 

11 (E) respects the plenary powers of each 

12 State over the health, welfare, and safety of its 

13 citizens in enacting and enforcing the rights of 

14 its own citizens; and 

15 (F) demonstrates a serious commitment to 

16 ending sexual assault and improving the lives of 

17 its citizens; 

18 (2) strongly urges States to adopt a Sexual As19 sault Survivors’ Bill of Rights that includes, but is 

20 not limited to, the— 

21 (A) right to prompt analysis of the sur22 vivor’s rape kit; 

23 (B) right to know the results of the sur24 vivor’s rape kit; 


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1 (C) right to be notified in writing of sur2 vivor’s legal rights; 

3 (D) right to be notified in writing of the 

4 nearest rape crisis center; 

5 (E) right to be informed about the status 

6 of the survivor’s case; 

7 (F) retention of all rights regardless of 

8 whether assault is reported to law enforcement; 

9 (G) right to a sexual assault counselor; 

10 and 

11 (H) right to terminate all legal ties and 

12 contact with assailant; and 

13 (3) recognizes and applauds those State legisla14 tive bodies which have already taken steps toward 

15 the adoption of a Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of 

16 Rights. 

Æ 


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