Sen. Cramer, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Military Response to Sexual Assault

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined fellow Senate Armed Services Committee members, Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), in introducing the Professionalizing the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Act, bipartisan legislation to improve the military's response to sexual assault. The bill tasks the Department of Defense with evaluating options for establishing a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) military operational specialty (MOS) and reporting its findings and recommendations to Congress.

"Securing justice for survivors of sexual assault and abuse is critical," said Senator Cramer. "Our legislation would give Congress and the Defense Department the information they need to professionalize the role of Sexual Assault Response Coordinators in the military and ensure the best resources and training are provided to support victims of sexual assault."

The Professionalizing the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Act tasks the Department of Defense to evaluate and report on the optimal execution of a SARC MOS across all branches of the military. The bill mandates, in particular, that the evaluation and report address the following considerations:

The appropriate rank and level of experience for prospective recipients of a SARC MOS.
Strengthening incentives for high-performing service members to obtain and serve as a SARC MOS, including by designating the SARC MOS as a secondary MOS.
Options for standardizing training and education for SARC MOS's.
Requirements for SARC-specific chain of command to provide service members serving as SARC MOS's with required support and guidance.
The impact of creating a SARC MOS on existing SARC programming.
Senators Cramer, Hawley, and Gillibrand are joined on the legislation by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Joni Ernst (R-IA).

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