House Unanimously Approves Bipartisan Survivors' Bill of Rights Act

Press Release

The House of Representatives today unanimously approved by a vote of 399-0 the Survivors' Bill of Rights Act of 2016, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) to provide protections for survivors of sexual assault.

The bill will ensure that sexual assault survivors in federal criminal cases have a right to a sexual assault evidence collection kit, are notified in writing before the kit is destroyed, request preservation of the kit, and are informed of important results from a forensic examination. The Survivors' Bill of Rights Act also requires the Attorney General and the United States Department of Health and Human Services to convene a joint working group on best practices regarding the care and treatment of sexual assault survivors and the preservation of forensic evidence.

"Today's vote to pass the Survivors' Bill of Rights Act means we are one step closer to ensuring victims of sexual assault have meaningful access to justice," said Lofgren "But it is also a testament to the strong women who refused to be victims, who walked into my office just four months ago with an idea to improve the lives of millions of survivors, shared their stories with the world, and today watched the passage of their bill on the House floor. They are the real difference-makers, and they are an inspiration to me."

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