,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bghb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #e1  
#bjai ,ms4 ,cantwell introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to improve provisions of  
law relating to sexual harassment and   
assault prevention at the ,national     
,oceanic and ,atmospheric               
,administration1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,improvements relating to sexual  
harassment and assault prevention at the
 ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric    
,administration  7a7 ,anonymous         
reporting ,subtitle ,c of title ,,xxxv  
of the ,national ,defense ,authorization
 ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjag 7#cc      
,u4,s4,c4 #hid et seq47 is amended--    
7#a7 in section #ceda7;b77#c77;,b7 7#cc 
,u4,s4,c4 #hid7;b77#c77;,b771 by        
striking confidentially and inserting   
anonymously2 and  7#b7 in section       
#cedb7;b77#e77;,b7 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4       

#hid;a7b77#e77;,b771 by striking        
confidentially and inserting            
anonymously4  7b7 ,investigative        
requirement ,such subtitle is amended-- 
7#a7 by redesignating sections #cedf and
 #cedg as sections #cedh and #cedi1     
respectively2 and  7#b7 by inserting    
after section #cede the following3      
#cedf4 ,investigation requirement  7a7  
,requirement ,to investigate  7#a7 ,in  
general ,the ,secretary of ,commerce1   
acting through the ,under ,secretary for
 ,oceans and ,atmosphere1 shall ensure  
that each allegation of sexual assault  
reported under section #ceda and each   
allegation of sexual harassment reported
 under section #cedb is investigated    
thoroughly and promptly4  7#b7 ,sense of
 ,congress on commencement of           
investigation ,it is the sense of       
,congress that the ,secretary should    
ensure that an investigation of an      
alleged sexual assault reported under   
section #ceda or sexual harassment      
reported under section #cedb commences  

not later than #dh hours after the time 
at which the allegation was reported4   
7b7 ,notification of delay ,in any case 
in which the time between the reporting 
of an alleged sexual assault or sexual  
harassment under section #ceda or #cedb1
 respectively1 and commencement of an   
investigation of the allegation exceeds 
#dh hours1 the ,secretary shall notify  
the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1  
and ,transportation of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of
 the ,house of ,representatives of the  
delay4  #cedg4 ,criminal referral ,if   
the ,secretary of ,commerce finds1      
pursuant to an investigation under      
section #cedf1 evidence that a crime may
 have been committed1 the ,secretary    
shall refer the matter to the           
appropriate law enforcement authorities1
 including the appropriate ,united      
,states ,attorney4  4  7c7 ,clerical    
amendment ,the table of contents in     
section #b7;b7 of such ,act is amended  
by striking the items relating to       

sections #cedf and #cedg and inserting  
the following new items3  ,sec4 #cedf4  
,investigation requirement4,sec4 #cedg4 
,criminal referral4,sec4 #cedh4 ,annual 
report on sexual assaults in the        
,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric     
,administration4,sec4 #cedi4 ,sexual    
assault defined4  4