Policy Action Center
Our Top Issues
Congress needs to hear your voice. #ActWithRAINN to help us protect survivors and prevent sexual violence.
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DNA: Ending the Rape Kit Backlog
Ask Congress to prioritize funding that helps to eliminate the rape kit backlog, ultimately holding more rapists accountable and giving all victims an equal chance for justice.
Take ActionAccess to Care: Bolster Critical Care for Survivors of Sexual Assault
Support programs and efforts to help ensure all survivors have access to the support and services of forensic nurses.
Take ActionFunding for Support Services: Programs that Support Survivors
Advocate for programs that give survivors the assistance they need and deserve, and that hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.
Take ActionTell Us What Matters
Is there a policy issue you’d like to see RAINN address? We want to hear from you. Send us your thoughts, ideas, and a little bit of information about yourself.
Submit a Policy RequestGuilty Verdict in Weinstein Trial a Victory for Survivors
A New York jury has found movie producer Harvey Weinstein guilty on two counts of felony sex crimes involving two different women. Specifically, he was found guilty of committing a criminal sex act in the first degree, which could lead to a prison sentence between five and 25 years; and rape in the third degree, which carries a sentence ranging from probation to four years in prison. Weinstein will be sentenced on March 11, 2020. “We are grateful that Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty and will be punished for at least some of his crimes,” said Scott Berkowitz, RAINN’s president. RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline saw a 23% increase in visitors in the two days after the verdict was announced.
Learn MoreRAINN Working to Secure Federal Funding for Rape Kits, Forensic Nurses
This April, RAINN’s public policy team will be focusing on a few pieces of bipartisan federal legislation vital to getting justice for survivors of sexual violence. As members of Congress meet throughout the month to work on fiscal year 2021 appropriations, “RAINN will be there to make sure that legislators prioritize funding that will give survivors more access to sexual assault forensic nurse examiners and reduces the rape kit backlog,” says Camille Cooper, vice president of public policy.
Learn MoreCritical Rape Kit Backlog Funding Passed By Congress
Congress reauthorized the nation’s primary DNA testing program through 2024. The U.S. Senate voted to renew the Debbie Smith Act, which has increased the use of DNA and has led to more than 192,000 DNA matches in CODIS (the FBI’s DNA database system). The bill had already passed the House, and is now headed for the president to be signed into law.
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