Bill > S1500

This bill, the Military Special Victims Protection Act of 2019, aims to improve and enhance protections for members of the Armed Forces who are victims of sex-related or domestic violence offenses. The key provisions include: 1. Establishing that disposition authority for certain covered offenses, such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence, must be exercised by an officer in a grade not below O-6. This ensures more senior oversight of these sensitive cases. 2. Expanding the Special Victims Counsel program to cover victims of domestic violence offenses in addition to victims of sex-related offenses. This provides victims access to legal counsel and assistance. 3. Requiring Special Victims Counsel to determine a victim's preference for prosecution of the alleged offense in either military or civilian court, and to make that preference known to military prosecutors. 4. Providing a process for correcting military records and discharge reviews for former service members whose discharge was wrongfully attributed to a "personality disorder" when they were actually suffering from post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury related to military sexual trauma. 5. Requiring training for members of military record correction boards and discharge review boards on topics such as military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence. The overall intent is to strengthen protections, support, and processes for service members who are victims of these sensitive offenses within the military justice system.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1500/all-info