On September 6, the House approved, by unanimous consent, the Survivors Bill of Rights Act (H.R. 5578), sponsored by Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA). The measure establishes several rights for sexual assault survivors, including the right to free forensic examinations and preservation of evidence collection kits. The bill also grants sexual assault survivors the right to be notified of any result of a sexual assault evidence kit and date of intended disposal of such evidence.
Among other provisions, the bill would authorize grants to inform survivors of their rights and require the Justice Department to create a working group to develop and share best practices for assisting sexual assault survivors and handling of evidence collection kits.
The House Judiciary Committee approved and earlier version of the bill on July 7 (see The Source, 7/8/16).
