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Protecting Survivors of Sexual Assault

Floor Speech

Date: March 17, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Women Health and Health Care Housing and Property

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Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to say how honored I am to be able to file two amendments to the critical reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

My first amendment aims to protect the safety and privacy of survivors by creating a statutory mandate that a victim's safety should be central to housing decisions made by covered housing providers. This amendment will ensure that housing providers do not evict survivors, keep their information confidential, and prioritize their safety when considering admissions, assistance, transfers, and more.

My second amendment is a direct response to an issue in my home State of North Carolina. Sexual assault nurse examiners, or SANE nurses, play a critical role in providing medical care to sexual assault survivors and collecting evidence for criminal prosecution.

Unfortunately, in North Carolina, SANE nurses can be difficult to locate, and some survivors travel to multiple hospitals and have to wait hours to see a SANE nurse. My amendment allows certain grants in the bill to be used to create databases.

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