I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1709 
To prevent and end the occurrence of sexual assaults involving members 
of the Armed Forces. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 4, 2011 
Ms. SLAUGHTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To prevent and end the occurrence of sexual assaults 
involving members of the Armed Forces. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Force Protection and Readiness Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, victim service organization, and health 
care professional privileges in cases arising under Uniform 
Code of Military Justice. 
Sec. 3. Expedited consideration and priority for application for consideration of 
a permanent change of station or unit transfer based on hu-
manitarian conditions for victim of sexual assault. 
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Sec. 4. Codification of required information database on sexual assault inci-
dents involving members of the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 5. Establishment of hotline to improve reporting of sexual assaults involv-
ing members of the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 6. Assignment and training of Sexual Assault Victim Advocates. 
Sec. 7. Provision of court-martial record to victim of sexual assault involving 
a member of the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 8. Legal training for judge advocates to improve investigation and prosecu-
tion of sexual assault offenses. 
SEC. 2. SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM ADVOCATE, VICTIM SERV-
ICE ORGANIZATION, AND HEALTH CARE PRO-
FESSIONAL PRIVILEGES IN CASES ARISING 
UNDER UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUS-
TICE. 
(a) PRIVILEGES ESTABLISHED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter XI of chapter 47 
of title 10, United States Code (the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice), is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 940a. Art. 140a. Privilege for communication with 
Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, victim 
service organization, or health care pro-
fessional 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘client’ means a person who 
consults with or is examined or interviewed by a 
Sexual Assault Victim Advocate of the Department 
of Defense, a victim service organization or any rep-
resentative of the organization, or a health care pro-
fessional or any representative of the professional. 
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‘‘(2) The term ‘victim service organization’ 
means an organization (whether public or private) 
that provides advice, counseling, or assistance to vic-
tims of domestic violence, family violence, dating vio-
lence, stalking, or sexual assault, or to the families 
of such victims. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘representative’, with respect to 
an organization or professional, means a person di-
rected by or assigned to assist that organization or 
professional, respectively, in providing advice, coun-
seling, treatment, or assistance. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘confidential communication’ 
means a communication not intended to be disclosed 
to third persons other than— 
‘‘(A) those persons to whom disclosure is 
in furtherance of providing advice, counseling, 
treatment, or assistance to the client; and 
‘‘(B) those persons reasonably necessary 
for facilitating disclosure under subparagraph 
(A). 
‘‘(b) GENERAL RULE OF PRIVILEGE.—(1) A client 
has a privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent any 
other person from disclosing, in a case arising under this 
chapter, a confidential communication made between the 
client and a person or entity specified in paragraph (2) 
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if such communication was made for the purpose of secur-
ing advice, counseling, treatment, or assistance concerning 
the client’s mental, physical, or emotional condition caused 
by a sexual assault or other offense covered by section 920 
of this title (article 120). 
‘‘(2) The privilege afforded by paragraph (1) applies 
to confidential communications with— 
‘‘(A) any operator or recording device of the 
Department of Defense sexual assault reporting hot-
line; 
‘‘(B) a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate; 
‘‘(C) a victim service organization or any rep-
resentative of the organization; and 
‘‘(D) a health care professional or any rep-
resentative of the professional. 
‘‘(3) A person referred to in paragraph (2) shall no-
tify clients as soon as practicable of the existence of the 
privilege afforded by paragraph (1). 
‘‘(c) EMERGENCY SHELTER PROTECTION.—A client 
or representative of a client may not be compelled to pro-
vide testimony in a case arising under this chapter (or 
other disciplinary or administrative proceeding of an 
armed force) that would identify— 
‘‘(1) the name, address, location, or telephone 
number of a safe house, abuse shelter, or other facil-
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ity that provided temporary emergency shelter to the 
victim of the offense or transaction that is the sub-
ject of the proceeding; or 
‘‘(2) the name, address, or telephone number of 
a victim representative. 
‘‘(d) WHO MAY CLAIM THE PRIVILEGE.—The privi-
lege under subsection (b) or (c) may be claimed by the 
client or the guardian or conservator of the client. A per-
son who may claim the privilege may authorize trial coun-
sel or defense counsel to claim the privilege on his or her 
behalf. The Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, victim service 
organization, health care professional, or representative 
who received the communication may claim the privilege 
on behalf of the client. The authority of the Sexual Assault 
Victim Advocate, organization, professional, representa-
tive, guardian, or conservator to assert the privilege is pre-
sumed in the absence of evidence to the contrary. 
‘‘(e) EXCEPTIONS.—There is no privilege under this 
section— 
‘‘(1) when the client is dead, except for the 
privilege under subsection (c); 
‘‘(2) to the extent the communication reports 
child abuse; 
‘‘(3) when a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, 
victim service organization, health care professional, 
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