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Survivors' Bill of Rights Act of 2016

Public Law 114-236 · H.R. 5578 · 114th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Oct 7, 2016 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA-45)

Cosponsors (40): Rep. Zoe Lofgren,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 399 yea, 0 nay399–0
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Survivors' Bill of Rights Act of 2016

(Sec. 3) This bill amends the federal criminal code to establish statutory rights for sexual assault survivors, including the right to: (1) not be prevented from receiving a forensic medical examination and not be charged for an examination; (2) have a sexual assault evidence collection kit (i.e., a rape kit) preserved for 20 years or the maximum applicable statute of limitations, whichever is shorter; (3) receive written notification prior to destruction or disposal of a rape kit; and (4) be informed of these rights and policies.

Additionally, it makes statutory crime victims' rights applicable to sexual assault survivors.

The term "sexual assault" means any nonconsensual sexual act prohibited by federal, state, or tribal law, including when a victim lacks capacity to consent.

Funds made available to the Crime Victims Fund under the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 must be used to carry out the requirements concerning these rights, subject to specified exceptions.

The bill amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to authorize the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Office of Justice Programs to make grants to states to develop sexual assault survivors' rights and policies and to disseminate written notice of such rights and policies to medical centers, hospitals, forensic examiners, sexual assault service providers, law enforcement agencies, and other state entities.

(Sec. 4) DOJ must establish a working group to develop, coordinate, and disseminate best practices regarding the care and treatment of sexual assault survivors and the preservation of forensic evidence.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 114th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 399 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

399 yea0 nay32 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(169)

Republicans who voted yea(230)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1179 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 5571Related bill

    Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act

  • S. 2566Related bill

    Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act

  • S. 2613Related bill

    Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act of 2016

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Oct 7, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-236.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 3, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 28, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  7. Sep 7, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  8. Sep 6, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 399 - 0 (Roll no. 479).House roll call 479
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5578.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  14. FloorFloor · Mr. Goodlatte moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  15. CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 546.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 114-707, Part I.
  18. Jul 7, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  20. Jul 5, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Discharged.
  21. Jun 30, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
  22. Jun 24, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.