Originally published on Elle on May 24, 2016 By MATTIE KAHN.
Backed by overwhelming bipartisan support, the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act was passed in the Senate on Monday. The final vote came to a unanimous 89-0. The bill is the first federal law to outline what basic services victims of sexual violence are entitled to, which means, yes, until now there has been no national legislation to do so.
The Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act ensures that survivors be able to access the results to forensic tests on their rape kit and to have their rape kit preserved for the entire statute of limitations in their state. If for any reason, state officials had plans to destroy a kit, the survivor would have to be notified in writing 60 days prior and would be permitted to request an extension.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D–NH) wrote the new bill, inspired by and with the input of 24-year-old Amanda Nguyen, a rape survivor who still has to fill out a form every six months to have her rape kit preserved. Nguyen told ELLE.com in February that she founded Rise, a national nonprofit that strives to better protect victims of sexual assault, to advocate for a bill like this one.
Now, the legislation is headed to the House. If it passes, it will be up to President Obama to sign it into law.
On the Senate floor on Monday, Shaheen turned her address toward survivors. “You do have rights. We do care about you. And if you choose to come forward, we will be there for you,” she said. “And we are going to ensure a justice system that treats you with dignity and fairness.”
For Nguyen, the battle isn’t over yet. But this victory is sweet. “I remember walking out of the hospital the night after [the assault] happened and feeling so alone and afraid,” says Nguyen, who spoke to ELLE.com by phone this morning. “And now to hear senators on the floor of the Senate not only tell my story but talk about an issue that when I started out no one knew about reminded me how much support we have.”
This is the proof, says Nguyen, that “a group of volunteers from different backgrounds can work together and pour our hearts out and make change. The voices of everyday citizens still matter.”
Add yours to the rallying cry. A change.org petition in support of the bill already has over 100,000 signatures.
