The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence effusively praised final passage of an inclusive Violence Against Women Act on Thursday.
“The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence is thrilled with the passage of VAWA by the House today. The House has now joined the Senate in ensuring that the most vulnerable victims of sexual assault and domestic violence will be protected. Congress has signaled a new day in this nation’s efforts to address the crime of rape,” said Monika Johnson Hostler, president of the group.
In a statement, the organization added:
S. 47 includes critical new measures to augment the response to sexual assault including:
- Creating tools for states to address the criminal justice response to rape;
- Dedicating set-asides in the STOP and Arrest programs for sexual assault;
- Strengthening state-level VAWA planning processes;
- Renewing the Sexual Assault Services and Rape Prevention and Education programs;
- Extending first ever federal public housing protections for victims of sexual assault;
- Increasing and improving efforts to address the rape kit backlog;
- Reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act;
- Explicitly protecting LGBT victims;
- Fortifying tribes’ ability to hold offenders accountable; and
- Expanding protections for victims on college campuses
