,i  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eega  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bb1 #bjaf,ms4 
,wasserman ,schultz 7for herself and    
,mr4 ,smith of ,texas7 introduced the   
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in
 addition to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce1 for a period to be       
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ah1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to provide sexual assault
 survivors with certain rights1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,sexual        
,assault ,survivors' ,rights ,act4  #b4 
,finding ,congress finds that there is a
 substantial ,federal interest in       
encouraging more sexual assault         
survivors to come forward and cooperate 
with law enforcement investigations and 
prosecutions4  #c4 ,sexual assault      

survivors' rights  7a7 ,in general      
,title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is   
amended by adding after chapter #bcg the
 following3  #bch ,sexual assault       
survivors' rights  ,sec4 #cggb4 ,sexual 
assault survivors' rights4  #cggb4      
,sexual assault survivors' rights  7a7  
,rights of sexual assault survivors ,in 
addition to those rights provided in    
section #cgga1 a sexual assault survivor
 has the following rights3  7#a7 ,the   
right not to be prevented from1 or      
charged for1 receiving a medical        
forensic examination4  7#b7 ,the right  
to--  7,a7 subject to paragraph 7#c71   
have a sexual assault evidence          
collection kit or its probative contents
 preserved1 without charge1 for the     
duration of the maximum applicable      
statute of limitations2  7,b7 be        
informed of any result of a sexual      
assault evidence collection kit1        
including a ,,dna profile match1        
toxicology report1 or other information 
collected as part of a medical forensic 

examination1 if such disclosure would   
not impede or compromise an ongoing     
investigation2 and  7,c7 be informed in 
writing of policies governing the       
collection and preservation of a sexual 
assault evidence collection kit4  7#c7  
,the right to-- 7,a7 upon written       
request1 receive written notification   
from the prosecutor not later than #fj  
days before the date of the intended    
destruction or disposal of the evidence 
collection kit or its probative         
contents2 and  7,b7 upon written        
request1 be granted further preservation
 of the kit or its probative contents4  
7#d7 ,the right to be informed of the   
rights under this subsection4  7b7      
,applicability ,subsections 7b7 through 
7f7 of section #cgga shall apply to     
sexual assault survivors4  7c7          
,definition of sexual assault survivor  
,for purposes of this section1 the term 
sexual assault survivor includes a legal
 representative of a deceased victim of 
sexual assault acting on behalf of the  

victim4  4  7b7 ,technical and          
conforming amendment ,the table of      
chapters for part ,,ii of title #ah1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3        
#bch4,sexual assault survivors'         
rights#cggb  4  #d4 ,services to        
survivors ,section #ejc7;c77#a7 of the  
,victims ,rights and ,restitution ,act  
of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfjg7;c77#a77 
is amended--  7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a71
 by inserting 1 including sexual assault
 service providers before the semicolon 
at the end2  7#b7 in subparagraph 7,c71 
by inserting 1 including sexual assault 
counseling before the semicolon at the  
end2 and  7#c7 in subparagraph 7,d71 by 
inserting 1 including national and local
 sexual assault hotlines before the     
period at the end4  #e4 ,sexual assault 
survivors notification grants ,the      
,victims of ,crime ,act of #aihd is     
amended by adding after section #adjd;,e
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfjc;e7 the following3
  #adjd;,f4 ,sexual assault survivors   

notification grants  7a7 ,in general    
,the ,attorney ,general may make grants 
as provided in section                  
#adjd7;c77#a77;,a7 to ,states to develop
 and disseminate to entities described  
in subsection 7c77#a7 written notice of 
applicable rights and policies for      
sexual assault survivors4  7b7          
,notification of rights ,each recipient 
of a grant awarded under subsection 7a7 
shall make its best effort to ensure    
that each entity described in subsection
 7c77#a7 provides individuals who       
identify as a survivor of a sexual      
assault1 and who consent to receiving   
such information1 with written notice of
 applicable rights and policies         
regarding--  7#a7 the right not to be   
charged fees for or otherwise prevented 
from pursuing a sexual assault evidence 
collection kit2  7#b7 the right to have 
a sexual assault medical forensic       
examination regardless of whether the   
survivor reports to or cooperates with  
law enforcement2  7#c7 the availability 

of a sexual assault advocate2  7#d7 the 
availability of protective orders and   
policies related to their enforcement2  
7#e7 policies regarding the storage1    
preservation1 and disposal of sexual    
assault evidence collection kits2  7#f7 
the process1 if any1 to request         
preservation of sexual assault evidence 
collection kits or the probative        
evidence from such kits2 and  7#g7 the  
availability of victim compensation and 
restitution4  7c7 ,dissemination of     
written notice ,each recipient of a     
grant awarded under subsection 7a7      
shall--  7#a7 provide the written notice
 described in subsection 7b7 to medical 
centers1 hospitals1 forensic examiners1 
sexual assault service providers1 ,state
 and local law enforcement agencies1 and
 any other ,state agency or department  
reasonably likely to serve sexual       
assault survivors2 and  7#b7 make the   
written notice described in subsection  
7b7 publicly available on the ,internet 
website of the attorney general of the  

,state4  7d7 ,provision ,to promote     
compliance ,the ,attorney ,general may  
provide such technical assistance and   
guidance as necessary to help recipients
 meet the requirements of this section4 
7e7 ,integration of systems ,any system 
developed and implemented under this    
section may be integrated with an       
existing case management system operated
 by the recipient of the grant if the   
system meets the requirements listed in 
this section4  7f7 ,definition of sexual
 assault survivor ,for purposes of this 
section1 the term sexual assault        
survivor includes a legal representative
 of a deceased victim of sexual assault 
acting on behalf of the victim4  4  #f4 
,working group  7a7 ,in general ,the    
,attorney ,general and the ,secretary of
 ,health and ,human ,services 7referred 
to in this section as the ,secretary7   
shall establish a joint working group   
7referred to in this section as the     
,working ,group7 to develop1 coordinate1
 and disseminate best practices         

regarding the care and treatment of     
sexual assault survivors and the        
preservation of forensic evidence4  7b7 
,consultation with stakeholders ,the    
,working ,group shall consult with--    
7#a7 stakeholders in law enforcement1   
prosecution1 forensic laboratory1       
counseling1 forensic examiner1 medical  
facility1 and medical provider          
communities2 and  7#b7 representatives  
from not less than #c national          
organizations and ,state coalitions with
 demonstrated expertise in sexual       
assault prevention1 sexual assault      
advocacy1 or representation of sexual   
assault victims1 particularly           
representatives of underserved or ethnic
 minority communities4  7c7 ,membership 
,the ,working ,group shall be composed  
of the following members3 7#a7 ,the     
,administrator of the ,health ,resources
 and ,services ,administration4  7#b7   
,the ,administrator of the ,centers for 
,medicare and ,medicaid ,services4  7#c7
 ,the ,director of the ,centers for     

,disease ,control and ,prevention4  7#d7
 ,the ,director of the ,indian ,health  
,service4  7#e7 ,the ,director of the   
,office for ,victims of ,crime4  7#f7   
,the ,assistant ,attorney ,general for  
the ,office of ,justice ,programs4  7#g7
 ,the ,director of the ,office on       
,violence ,against ,women4  7#h7 ,other 
governmental or nongovernmental agency  
heads at the discretion of the ,attorney
 ,general or the ,secretary4  7d7       
,duties ,the ,working ,group shall--    
7#a7 improve the coordination of the    
dissemination and implementation of best
 practices and protocols regarding the  
care and treatment of sexual assault    
survivors and the preservation of       
evidence to hospital administrators1    
physicians1 forensic examiners1 and     
other medical associations and leaders  
in the medical community2  7#b7 develop 
and implement1 where appropriate1       
clinical guidelines and other incentives
 to encourage the adoption and          
implementation of best practices and    

protocols regarding the care and        
treatment of sexual assault survivors   
and the preservation of evidence among  
hospital administrators1 physicians1    
forensic examiners1 and other medical   
associations and leaders in the medical 
community2  7#c7 improve the            
coordination of the dissemination and   
implementation of best practices        
regarding the care and treatment of     
sexual assault survivors and the        
preservation of evidence to ,state      
attorneys general1 ,united ,states      
attorneys1 heads of ,state law          
enforcement agencies1 forensic          
laboratory directors and managers1 and  
other leaders in the law enforcement    
community2  7#d7 develop and implement1 
where appropriate1 incentives to        
encourage the adoption or implementation
 of best practices regarding the care   
and treatment of sexual assault         
survivors and the preservation of       
evidence among ,state attorneys general1
 ,united ,states attorneys1 heads of    

,state law enforcement agencies1        
forensic laboratory directors and       
managers1 and other leaders in the law  
enforcement community2  7#e7 collect    
feedback from stakeholders1             
practitioners1 and leadership throughout
 the ,federal and ,state law            
enforcement1 victim services1 forensic  
science practitioner1 and health care   
communities to inform development of    
future best practices or clinical       
guidelines regarding the care and       
treatment of sexual assault survivors2  
and  7#f7 perform other activities1 such
 as activities relating to development1 
dissemination1 outreach1 engagement1 or 
training associated with advancing      
victim-centered care for sexual assault 
survivors4  7e7 ,initial operating plan 
,not later than #abj days after its     
first meeting1 the ,working ,group shall
 submit to the ,attorney ,general1 the  
,secretary1 and ,congress an operating  
plan for carrying out the activities of 
the ,working ,group4  7f7 ,meetings ,the

 ,working ,group shall-- 7#a7 hold its  
first meeting not later than #ij days   
after the date of enactment of this     
,act2 and  7#b7 meet not fewer than #b  
times and not more than #e times each   
year4  7g7 ,report ,not later than #b   
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 the ,working ,group shall    
submit to the ,attorney ,general1 the   
,secretary1 and ,congress a report      
containing the findings and recommended 
actions of the ,working ,group4  7h7    
,sexual assault survivor defined ,in    
this section1 the term sexual assault   
survivor includes a legal representative
 of a deceased victim of sexual assault 
acting on behalf of the victim4