I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4893 

To direct the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to establish 

an interagency working group to study Federal efforts to collect data 

on sexual violence and to make recommendations on the harmonization 

of such efforts, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 29, 2018 

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire (for herself and Mr. TURNER) introduced the 

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

A BILL 

To direct the Director of the Office of Management and 

Budget to establish an interagency working group to 

study Federal efforts to collect data on sexual violence 

and to make recommendations on the harmonization of 

such efforts, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improve Data on Sex5 ual Violence Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP TO STUDY FED2 ERAL EFFORTS TO COLLECT DATA ON SEX3 UAL VIOLENCE. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

5 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the 

6 Office of Management and Budget shall establish an inter7 agency working group (in this section referred to as the 

8 ‘‘Working Group’’) to study Federal efforts to collect data 

9 on sexual violence and to make recommendations on the 

10 harmonization of such efforts. 

11 (b) COMPOSITION.—The Working Group shall be 

12 comprised of at least one representative from the following 

13 agencies, who shall be selected by the head of that agency: 

14 (1) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre15 vention. 

16 (2) The Department of Defense. 

17 (3) The Department of Education. 

18 (4) The Department of Health and Human 

19 Services. 

20 (5) The Department of Justice. 

21 (c) DUTIES.—The Working Group shall consider the 

22 following: 

23 (1) What activity constitutes different acts of 

24 sexual violence. 


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1 (2) Whether reports that use the same terms 

2 for acts of sexual violence are collecting the same 

3 data on these acts. 

4 (3) Whether the context which led to an act of 

5 sexual violence should impact how that act is ac6 counted for in reports. 

7 (4) Whether the data collected is presented in 

8 a way that allows the general public to understand 

9 what acts of sexual violence are included in each 

10 measurement. 

11 (5) Steps that agencies that compile reports re12 lating to sexual violence can take to avoid double 

13 counting incidents of sexual violence. 

14 (d) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 2 years 

15 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Working 

16 Group shall publish and submit to Congress a report on 

17 the following: 

18 (1) The activities of the Working Group. 

19 (2) Recommendations to harmonize Federal ef20 forts to collect data on sexual violence. 

21 (3) Actions Federal agencies can take to imple22 ment the recommendations described in paragraph 

23 (2). 


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1 (4) Recommendations for congressional action 

2 to implement the recommendations described in 

3 paragraph (2). 

4 (e) TERMINATION.—The Working Group shall termi5 nate 30 days after the date on which the report is sub6 mitted pursuant to subsection (d). 

7 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

8 (1) HARMONIZE.—The term ‘‘harmonize’’ in9 cludes efforts to coordinate sexual violence data col10 lection to produce complementary information, as 

11 appropriate, without compromising programmatic 

12 needs. 

13 (2) SEXUAL VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘sexual vio14 lence’’ includes an unwanted sexual act (including 

15 both contact and non-contact) about which the Fed16 eral Government collects information. 

Æ 


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