Bill Text: HI SCR62 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 62 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: United States Armed Forces; Sexual Harassment and Assault

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Passed) 2014-06-05 - Certified copies of resolutions sent, 06-04-14. [SCR62 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2014-SCR62-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	62
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

urging congress to enact reforms addressing sexual harassment and assault in the united states armed forces.

WHEREAS, the United States Armed Forces is one of the most important and respected institutions of this nation; and

WHEREAS, evidence suggests that a culture of sexual harassment and assault in the military threatens to erode the sense of cohesion, respect, and trust that men and women service members rely on in the performance of their duties; and

WHEREAS, according to the Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military for fiscal year 2012, approximately 26,000 service members experienced rape or unwanted sexual contact compared to 19,000 in 2010, which is an increase of almost 40 percent in the estimated rate of sexual assault in the military; and

WHEREAS, the same report found that only 3,374 of the incidents were reported and more women service members filed a report even though approximately 53 percent of sexual assault victims in the military are men; and

WHEREAS, despite the "zero tolerance" sexual harassment and assault policy implemented by military leadership for the past twenty-five years, frequent acts of sexual harassment and assault continue in all branches of the military, as substantiated by these statistics and several high-profile cases, including the recent arrest of the Air Force's Chief of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office for sexually assaulting a woman in a parking lot; and

WHEREAS, the military justice system is not equipped to handle sexual harassment and assault cases in a fair and equitable manner, as a case moves forward only if recommended by a military commander, who also has the authority to overturn a conviction and allow a convicted sex offender to remain in the military; and

WHEREAS, to address the epidemic of sexual harassment and assault in the military and to reform the broken system of military justice, which fails to handle cases equitably and fairly, several bills have been introduced in Congress, including bills seeking to:

(1) Improve victims' services;

(2) Extend victims' rights;

(3) Modify the authority of commanders with respect to case prosecutions and convictions;

(4) Professionalize the military justice system;

(5) Mandate certain punishments for those convicted of specific sex crimes; and

(6) Require the retention of sexual assault reports and better data collection; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that Congress move swiftly to enact these bills to ensure the well-being of military service members by protecting them from sexual harassment and assault and in so doing, maintain the readiness of our military; now, therefore;

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, the House of Representatives concurring, that this body strongly supports and urges Congress to enact the bills currently introduced to address sexual harassment and assault in the United States Armed Forces, including but not limited to bills seeking to: improve the services available to victims of sexual harassment and assault; extend victims' rights; modify the authority of commanders with respect to case prosecutions and convictions; professionalize the military justice system; mandate certain punishments for those convicted of specific sex crimes; and require the retention of sexual assault reports and the collection of better data; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body urges Congress to move swiftly to enact these bills to ensure the well-being of military service members by protecting them against sexual harassment and assault and in so doing, maintain the readiness of our military; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and Hawaii's congressional delegation.