REFERENCE TITLE: military sexual trauma; servicemembers

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session 2020

HM 2002

Introduced by Representatives Andrade: Allen J, Biasiucci, Blackman, Blanc, Bolding, Bolick, Bowers, Butler, Campbell, Cano, Carroll, Chávez, Cobb, DeGrazia, Dunn, Engel, Epstein, Espinoza, Fernandez, Friese, Grantham, Griffin, Hernandez A, Hernandez D, Jermaine, Kavanagh, Lawrence, Lieberman, Longdon, Meza, Nutt, Osborne, Pawlik, Peten, Powers Hannley, Rivero, Roberts, Rodriguez, Salman, Shope, Sierra, Teller, Terán, Thorpe, Toma, Townsend, Tsosie, Udall

 

A memorial

 

urging the united states congress to provide funding to assist servicemembers of the united states armed forces who are survivors of sexual trauma.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

To the Congress of the United States of America:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, the United States Department of Defense's annual report on sexual assault in the military, which was provided to Congress in 2019, stated that there continues to be extensive sexual harassment and sexual assault in the United States armed forces; and

Whereas, statistics on military sexual assaults mentioned in the report show that the majority of servicemember sexual assault survivors are between the ages of 17 and 24 and work, train or live in close proximity to their alleged attackers; and

Whereas, sexual assaults in the military continue to be underreported even as reporting rates have quadrupled over the last decade; and

Whereas, United States armed forces servicemembers who survive military sexual trauma should be supported by the United States Department of Defense's judicial and medical systems at the time of service and educated on available services once they have separated from the military; and

Whereas, servicemembers who have honorably served in the United States armed forces should be provided with the services they have earned to assist with the trauma of military sexual assault.

Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, prays:

1.  That the United States Congress support the survivors of military sexual assault through funding and gender-specific health transition training.

2.  That the United States Congress provide funding to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for extensive outreach to those servicemembers separating from the armed forces and provide continued funding for modernization of Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense health records.