A bill to provide additional funding to States that provide certain rights to sexual assault survivors, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- S. 1931
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-03: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2025-07-21T19:32:26Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill aims to incentivize states to enhance rights for sexual assault survivors by providing tiered federal funding grants to those that enact or implement protections similar to federal standards. It also strengthens federal requirements for preserving evidence from sexual assault kits and simplifies survivor requests for notifications related to evidence handling.
Key Provisions
- Tiered Grant Funding for States: Amends existing law to increase formula grants from the Attorney General to states based on their implementation of survivor rights:
- States qualify for increased funding if they have:
- A specific law mirroring federal rights under 18 U.S.C. § 3772 (which outlines rights like timely exams, evidence preservation, and notifications for survivors).
- A combination of laws, regulations, practices, or policies achieving the same minimum rights.
- A combination providing substantially similar rights.
- Fund allocation among qualifying states:
- 60% to states with a dedicated law meeting exact federal standards.
- 25% to states using combinations of laws/regulations/practices/policies for exact standards.
- 15% to states with substantially similar protections.
- States can only qualify for one funding tier.
- Evidence Preservation: Requires law enforcement to preserve sexual assault evidence kits (forensic evidence collected during exams) for at least 20 years, regardless of the statute of limitations for prosecution.
- Simplified Requests: Allows survivors to request notifications before evidence disposal or further preservation through any form of request (not limited to written ones).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Builds on the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 by expanding eligibility for grant increases beyond just state laws to include regulations, practices, and policies, and by introducing a three-tier funding allocation system to prioritize stricter compliance.
- Modifies 18 U.S.C. § 3772 (federal Crime Victims' Rights Act provisions for sexual assault survivors) by extending mandatory evidence retention from the shorter of the statute of limitations or 20 years to a fixed minimum of 20 years.
- Removes the "written" requirement for survivor requests under the same section, making the process more accessible.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Increases administrative burdens on the Department of Justice (via the Attorney General) to evaluate state compliance and allocate funds accordingly, potentially leading to more states updating their laws or policies to access funding.
- On Citizens: Enhances protections for sexual assault survivors by encouraging longer evidence retention and easier access to notifications, which could improve prosecution rates, support trauma-informed care, and reduce barriers for victims seeking justice.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. state and federal policies.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Sexual Assault Survivors: Primary beneficiaries through stronger rights to evidence handling and notifications.
- State Governments: Eligible for additional federal grants but must demonstrate compliance to qualify.
- Law Enforcement and Forensic Labs: Required to maintain evidence longer and respond to broader types of survivor requests.
- Federal Government (Department of Justice): Responsible for administering and distributing the tiered grants.
- Advocacy Groups: Organizations supporting survivors' rights may influence state-level changes to secure funding.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Aligns state practices with federal standards under the Crime Victims' Rights Act, potentially reducing disparities in survivor protections across the U.S. and supporting due process by ensuring evidence availability.
- Constitutional: No direct challenges noted, but the bill promotes equal protection under the law for survivors by incentivizing uniform rights without mandating state changes (using funding as a carrot rather than a stick).
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Sens. Grassley, Shaheen, and Klobuchar) suggests broad support for victim rights; the tiered funding could encourage progressive state reforms while tying federal dollars to accountability, though it may spark debates on federal overreach into state criminal justice policies.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH], Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-03: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-06-03: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- To provide additional funding to States that provide certain rights to sexual assault survivors, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-06-03 — PDF (4 pages)