Press Releases

House Judiciary Committee Passes Legislation to Empower Survivors of Sexual Assault

 Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) issued the following statement today after legislation authored by Rep. Wasserman Schultz to establish basic rights for survivors of sexual assault passed the House Judiciary Committee by voice vote today. Introduced by Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Lamar Smith, the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act passed as part of the Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016 – legislation that has broad bipartisan support. The Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act was authored in the House by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and in the Senate by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen:

“For too long, sexual assault survivors have had to navigate a confusing patchwork of laws and regulations that have not done enough to help them access justice. Our sexual assault survivors deserve a strong law to protect their most basic rights and I am pleased that this bill has taken a significant step towards becoming the law of the land. I thank Senator Shaheen for her leadership on this bill in the Senate, and look forward to continuing to work with my House colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure survivors are guaranteed a set of basic rights under Federal law" said Rep. Wasserman Schultz.

“This is another encouraging step forward in the pursuit of justice for survivors of sexual assault,” said Senator Shaheen. “It’s time to change the culture around how survivors are treated in our criminal justice system. Far too many survivors experience a criminal justice system that’s working against them, not for them. The Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act was overwhelmingly passed in the Senate and I hope to see the same result in the House so that we can send this bill to the President’s desk. I thank Representatives Wasserman Schultz, Walters and Smith for their leadership in the House on this important legislation.”

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