Legislation crafted to protect military sexual assault victims

The Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment Act was created to provide better protection by allowing them to seek care and treatment from health care providers outside of the military. This bill, listed on the docket as H.R. 3775, gives members of the military quicker, more flexible access to medical care.

In a survey conducted by the Department of Defense, only one-third of female sexual assault victims reported their attack. Sixty-two percent of those who reported the assault stated that they faced retaliatory actions for speaking out. In 2013, a Pentagon report noted a 37 percent increase in cases in the previous two years.

Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) is co-sponsoring the bill. “The physical and emotional pain that victims of sexual assault endure is horrific, and our current laws don’t allow all survivors to access the care they need for their recovery,” said Paulsen. “Allowing our service members to receive treatment from private providers will help them get through an extremely difficult time in their lives.”