Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act

To reduce sexual assault and domestic violence involving members of the armed forces and their family members and partners through enhanced programs of prevention and deterrence, enhanced programs of victims services, and strengthened provisions for prosecution of assailants, and for other purposes.

10/29/2007--Introduced.
Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act - Establishes in the Department of Defense (DOD) an Office of the Victims' Advocate to facilitate access to services for victims of domestic or family violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the military. Directs the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Office, to require DOD policies for victim assistance, family advocacy, and equal opportunity programs to provide for a victims' advocates program within each military department. Authorizes the Secretary to award contracts to:
(1) support DOD crisis intervention services for victims of such violence; and
(2) provide training on prevention of such violence. Prohibits any person from restricting a member of the Armed Forces in communicating with the Office or from taking or withholding a personnel action in retaliation for making such a communication. Provides for:
(1) employment of a sexual assault nurse examiner, a psychiatrist, and a complimentary clinical team at each DOD military treatment facility; and
(2) DOD community level programs and shelter services for active duty members and their families who are victims of such violence shelter . Specifies the rights of victims of such violence reported to a military law enforcement agency. Directs a military commanding officer who receives a qualifying complaint alleging such violence to investigate it and report. Specifies circumstances under which military law enforcement officers shall arrest a person for committing domestic violence. Establishes a Director of Special Investigations in DOD to review investigations of allegations of such violence and refer cases for prosecution.
Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to:
(1) include as "aggravated assault" and specify penalty limits for an assault involving domestic or family violence; and
(2) provide for court-martial punishment of violations of no contact or protective orders. Authorizes the Secretary to:
(1) contract for treatment services for members of the Armed Forces who have committed such violence; and
(2) ensure that sex offender treatment providers in the contracted program meet the state licensing or certification standards. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to:
(1) ensure that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care providers receive training in the screening and referral of veterans who have suffered military sexual trauma; and
(2) conduct related pilot programs. Prohibits the Secretary of the military department concerned from approving a financial award or a promotion for an officer or employee who has been convicted of or disciplined for committing such violence. Directs the Secretary to study:
(1) the prevalence and nature of such violence, of intimate partner violence, and of child maltreatment, abuse, suicide, and homicide in the Armed Forces; and
(2) military procedures after an incident is reported.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Louise Slaughter [D, NY-28]
• and 59 Co-Sponsors
  • Thomas Allen
  • Rep. Joe Baca [D, CA-43]
  • Rep. Tammy Baldwin [D, WI-2]
  • Rep. Shelley Berkley [D, NV-1]
  • Rep. Timothy Bishop [D, NY-1]
  • Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D, OR-3]
  • Rep. Dan Burton [R, IN-5]
  • Rep. Lois Capps [D, CA-23]
  • Rep. Christopher Carney [D, PA-10]
  • Rep. Steve Cohen [D, TN-9]
  • Rep. Jim Costa [D, CA-20]
  • Rep. Joseph Crowley [D, NY-7]
  • Rep. Elijah Cummings [D, MD-7]
  • Thomas Davis
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D, CT-3]
  • Rep. Norman Dicks [D, WA-6]
  • Rep. Lloyd Doggett [D, TX-25]
  • Rep. Anna Eshoo [D, CA-14]
  • Rep. Eni Faleomavaega [D, AS-0]
  • Rep. Sam Farr [D, CA-17]
  • Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
  • Rep. Al Green [D, TX-9]
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
  • Rep. Jane Harman [D, CA-36]
  • Rep. Mazie Hirono [D, HI-2]
  • Rep. Rush Holt [D, NJ-12]
  • Rep. Michael Honda [D, CA-15]
  • Rep. Jay Inslee [D, WA-1]
  • Rep. Henry Johnson [D, GA-4]
  • Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D, MI-13]
  • Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D, NY-14]
  • Rep. Edward Markey [D, MA-7]
  • Rep. Doris Matsui [D, CA-5]
  • Rep. Betty McCollum [D, MN-4]
  • Rep. James McDermott [D, WA-7]
  • Rep. Michael Michaud [D, ME-2]
  • Rep. George Miller [D, CA-7]
  • Rep. Dennis Moore [D, KS-3]
  • Rep. James Moran [D, VA-8]
  • Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D, NY-8]
  • Rep. Grace Napolitano [D, CA-38]
  • Rep. Eleanor Norton [D, DC-0]
  • Rep. Ted Poe [R, TX-2]
  • Rep. Steven Rothman [D, NJ-9]
  • Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D, CA-34]
  • Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D, CA-47]
  • Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
  • Rep. Joe Sestak [D, PA-7]
  • Christopher Shays
  • Rep. Hilda Solis [D, CA-32]
  • Rep. Betty Sutton [D, OH-13]
  • Rep. John Tierney [D, MA-6]
  • Rep. Christopher Van Hollen [D, MD-8]
  • Rep. Henry Waxman [D, CA-30]
  • Rep. Anthony Weiner [D, NY-9]
  • Rep. Robert Wexler [D, FL-19]
  • Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]
  • Rep. David Wu [D, OR-1]
  • Rep. John Yarmuth [D, KY-3]
  close

Committees

• House Judiciary
• 5 more
  • House Veterans' Affairs
  • House Judiciary
  • House Armed Services
  • House Veterans' Affairs
  • House Armed Services
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.3990

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
October 29, 2007

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All Bill Actions

• Dec 05, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
• Nov 02, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
• Nov 02, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
• Introduced on Oct 29, 2007.
• Oct 29, 2007: Referred to House Judiciary
• Oct 29, 2007: Referred to House Veterans' Affairs
• Oct 29, 2007: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2263-2264)
• Oct 29, 2007: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• Oct 29, 2007: Referred to House Armed Services

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Related Issue Areas:

• Defense policy
• Access to health care
• Actions and defenses
• Administrative procedure
• 133 more
• Americans in foreign countries
• Armed forces
• Armed forces abroad
• Arrest
• Assault
• Attorney-client privilege
• Birth control
• Case management
• Child abuse
• Child safety
• Children
• Civil liberties
• Communications
• Compensation for victims of crime
• Conferences
• Confidential communications
• Congressional reporting requirements
• Counseling
• Courts-martial and courts of inquiry
• Crime prevention
• Crimes against women
• Criminal investigation
• Criminal justice
• Criminal justice information
• Criminal statistics
• Criminology
• Curricula
• DNA
• Day care
• Department of Defense
• Disciplining of employees
• Drug abuse
• Education
• Evidence (Law)
• Ex-offenders
• Executive departments
• Executive reorganization
• Families
• Family violence
• Federal employees
• Federal law enforcement officers
• Federal officials
• Fringe benefits
• Government employees
• Government information
• Government paperwork
• Government publications
• Government publicity
• Governmental investigations
• Grievance procedures
• Group counseling
• Health policy
• Higher education
• Homicide
• Housing
• Human immunodeficiency viruses
• Identification devices
• Informers
• Injunctions
• Inspectors general
• Job training
• Jurisdiction
• Labor
• Law
• Law enforcement officers
• Legal fees
• Legal services
• Medical care
• Medical education
• Medical personnel
• Medical screening
• Medical tests
• Medicine
• Mental health services
• Military and naval offenses
• Military dependents
• Military hospitals
• Military law
• Military medicine
• Military pay
• Military promotions
• Military training
• Military transportation
• Misconduct in office
• Nonprofit organizations
• Nurses
• Occupational therapy
• Officer personnel
• Paramedical personnel
• Physical therapy
• Physician-patient privilege
• Police
• Politics and government
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Pregnancy
• Promotions
• Prosecution
• Psychiatrists
• Public contracts
• Public service advertising
• Rape
• Rape victims
• Recruiting of employees
• Rehabilitation of criminals
• Relocation
• Reproduction
• Right of privacy
• Sentences (Criminal procedure)
• Sex crimes
• Sex offenders
• Sexual harassment
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Shelters for the homeless
• Social life and customs
• Social services
• Stalking
• State and local government
• State laws
• Suicide
• Surveys
• Telecommunication
• Telephone
• Transportation
• Travel costs
• Veterans
• Veterans' benefits
• Veterans' hospitals
• Veterans' medical care
• Victims of crimes
• Whistle blowing
• Witnesses
• Women
• Women's shelters

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