Rise is thrilled to announce that our first bill of the year was introduced in South Carolina. We are deeply grateful to Representative Thigpen for championing this bill, and for our organizers in South Carolina for fighting for the rights of survivors of sexual assault.
HB3534, also known as the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, will guarantee the rights of survivors of sexual violence in South Carolina – impacting more than 1.4 million people.
These rights include:
- Right to equality under the law
- Right to informative rape kit procedures and notification
- Right to survivors’ advocacy
- Right to terminate all legal ties with the assailant
- Right to the retention of all rights regardless of whether assault is reported to law enforcement
The state of New York also recently passed a law just before 2022 ended – S7867A helps establish a statewide rape kit tracking system that is critical for survivors to have access to justice.
We are over the moon about these successes, but we recognize there’s lots of work to do. If you’d like to join our efforts to expand the rights of survivors of sexual violence across the United States, consider joining our Team America efforts!
