Sponsors (13)
The bill improves survivor-centered, trauma-informed responses and accountability by standardizing training and collecting outcome data, but it may impose costs, privacy risks, and sustainability challenges for local agencies relying on short-term grants.
Law enforcement, firefighters/EMS, and other first responders will receive standardized trauma-informed training that improves interactions with sexual assault survivors and reduces retraumatization.
Survivors of sexual assault — including women and racial/ethnic minority survivors — will get more victim-centered responses and will have their experiences solicited to help improve programs.
State and local agencies, including law enforcement, will have access to a standardized training curriculum and a searchable registry of qualified, diverse trainers, making it easier to find trainers and expanding program access nationwide.
Law enforcement and firefighter/EMS agencies may struggle to sustain training because one-year grant periods risk disrupting continuity once funding ends.
State and local governments and law enforcement may face new costs and administrative burdens to meet required training hours and diversity requirements, especially if grants are partial or short-term.
Survivors could face privacy risks if feedback and prosecution outcome information is collected or published without strong protections.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes one‑year HHS grants to eligible law enforcement and EMS agencies to establish/expand trauma‑informed, victim‑centered sexual assault training with minimum hours and annual reporting.
Introduced April 30, 2025 by Janice D. Schakowsky · Last progress April 30, 2025
Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award one‑year grants to state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies and state or local EMS oversight agencies to establish or expand trauma‑informed, victim‑centered training on sexual assault and related trauma for law enforcement personnel and emergency medical technicians. Grants must support evidence‑based (or promising) training, meet minimum training-hour requirements (at least 8 hours for initial academy/EMS/fire training and at least 4 hours annually for other personnel), promote trainer diversity, and include HHS reporting on program reach and effectiveness to Congress. The law also requires HHS to maintain an online searchable listing of trainers by geographic area and professional background and to submit annual reports that include grant counts, program evaluations, prosecution outcomes, and survivor feedback.