Statement for the Senate Record by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
“Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month”
April 28, 2016

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bipartisan resolution recognizing that April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.  Senators Leahy, Ayotte, Casey, Ernst, and Gillibrand have joined as cosponsors of the resolution, and I thank them for their support.  

Our purpose in introducing the resolution is to bring greater awareness to the problem of sexual assault and publicly acknowledge the survivors.  According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, someone is sexually assaulted every two minutes, on average, in the United States.  Sexual assault can take many forms, including rape, commercial sex trafficking, child sexual abuse, and stalking.

Rape, which is the second most violent crime in the United States—second only to murder, according to the FBI—can happen to anyone.   According to the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the consequences of rape can be profound for its victims, and may include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or even suicide.

In communities across the United States, Americans have commemorated the month of April with activities designed to support survivors of sexual violence in their efforts to heal.  Before the month comes to a close, it’s important that Congress also express its support for the goals and ideals of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

I’d also like to take a moment to mention several other bipartisan, anti-sexual assault measures that I’ve championed during the month of April, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting these initiatives too.  

First, just last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I serve as chairman, cleared legislation that’s designed to help sexual assault victims secure justice.  I incorporated this language into the Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act, a measure I introduced earlier this year at the urging of a young woman who survived a sexual assault and founded an organization, RISE, that’s dedicated to helping other survivors.  

The measure reported by our committee by voice vote on April 20th would amend the federal crime victims’ statute to add a number of new rights specific to sexual assault survivors.  If it’s enacted, victims of federal crimes of sexual violence would have the right not to be prevented from, or charged for, receiving a medical forensic exam.  They’d have the right to have a sexual assault evidence collection kit preserved, without charge, until the statutory limitations period for prosecuting the crime has expired or ten years has elapsed.  They’d have the right to be informed of the results when their forensic evidence is analyzed.  And they’d have the right to written notice of policies governing their evidence kit’s collection and preservation, as well as the right to notice if that evidence is about to be discarded.   

The latest version of the Adam Walsh Reauthorization also would make Justice Department grants available to entities that notify sexual violence victims of any applicable rights under state law.  Finally, this legislation would extend the statutory period in which child survivors of human trafficking and child sexual abuse offenses can file suit against the perpetrators.  The bill has been endorsed not only by RISE but also by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.  Senators Schumer, Hatch, Feinstein, Leahy, Shaheen, Coons, Durbin, and Klobuchar have joined as cosponsors. 

Also last week, I joined Senator Gillibrand in calling on President Obama to take additional steps to investigate military sexual assault.  We contacted the President to voice our concerns shortly after an organization known as Protect Our Defenders released a report questioning the accuracy of congressional testimony by a Pentagon official during a hearing on sexual assault in the military. 

Last but not least, due to my concerns about campus sexual assault, I am an original cosponsor of the Campus Accountability and Safety Act.  I joined Senators Heller, McCaskill, Gillibrand, Ayotte, and others in introducing this bill last year.  It would make additional support services available to student survivors of campus rape, require training standards and uniform discipline procedures for campus officials, and add transparency requirements for the nation’s universities. Earlier this week, the cosponsors of this measure came together to publicly call for prompt action on this legislation.

Mr. President, I will close by urging my colleagues to support passage of the resolution we’ve introduced today.     

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