Bill
Bill > HR2026
summary
Introduced
04/23/2015
04/23/2015
In Committee
08/13/2015
08/13/2015
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2017
01/03/2017
Introduced Session
114th Congress
Bill Summary
SUPPORT Act Support Uniformed Patriots; Prevent Offenses and Restore Trust Act This bill directs the Secretary of a military department to ensure that: the commander of each unit of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps or Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps and all professors of military science, senior military instructors, and civilian employees assigned or employed as administrators and instructors of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps receive sexual assault prevention and response training and education; and information regarding legal assistance and the services of the Department of Defense (DOD) sexual assault prevention and response program is made available to such Reserve Officers' Training Corps personnel. The Secretary of DOD (Secretary) shall establish a strategy to prevent retaliation by members of the Armed Forces against other members who report or otherwise intervene on behalf of sexual assault victims. The Secretary or the Secretary of a military department may permit a DOD civilian employee who is a victim of a sex-related offense to obtain the services of a Special Victims' Counsel. The Secretary is directed to improve the Special Victims' Counsel program regarding: (1) criminal justice experience for judge advocates, (2) counsel training, (3) program performance standards, and (4) increased counsel-client communication. The Secretary shall: provide for revised sexual assault prevention and response training to address the incidence of male service members being sexually assaulted, and appropriate DOD mental and medical care (including improved provider guidelines) for male victims; ensure that mental health records are neither sought from a medical treatment facility by investigators or military justice practitioners nor acknowledged or released by medical treatment facility personnel until their production has been ordered by a military judge or Article 32 hearing officer; and examine DOD and interagency review process for implementing statutory changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and explore streamlining options.
AI Summary
This bill, known as the SUPPORT Act, aims to strengthen the Department of Defense's (DOD) sexual assault prevention and response programs by mandating sexual assault prevention training for all administrators and instructors of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) and Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (SROTC), and ensuring they have access to legal assistance and information about DOD's sexual assault programs. It also directs the Secretary of Defense to create a strategy to prevent retaliation against service members who report sexual assaults or support victims, and allows DOD civilian employees who are victims of sex-related offenses to access Special Victims' Counsel, which are legal representatives specializing in these cases. Furthermore, the bill mandates improvements to the Special Victims' Counsel program, including enhanced criminal justice experience for lawyers, standardized training, better program performance standards, and improved client communication, while also requiring revised training and mental health care guidelines to address sexual assaults against male service members. Finally, it establishes stricter protocols for accessing mental health records in investigations and mandates an examination of the process for implementing changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the set of laws governing the U.S. armed forces.
Committee Categories
Military Affairs and Security
Sponsors (14)
Mike Turner (R)*,
Robert Aderholt (R),
Cheri Bustos (D),
Emanuel Cleaver (D),
Walter Jones (R),
Ann Kuster (D),
Nita Lowey (D),
Betty McCollum (D),
Jim McGovern (D),
Kyrsten Sinema (I),
Louise Slaughter (D),
Mark Takano (D),
Niki Tsongas (D),
Joe Wilson (R),
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. (on 08/13/2015)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...