10 USC 1565b - Victims of Sexual Assault: Access to Legal Assistance and Services of Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Sexual Assault Victim Advocates

(a) Availability of Legal Assistance and Victim Advocate Services.—(1) A member of the armed forces, or a dependent of a member, who is the victim of a sexual assault may be provided the following:

(A) Legal assistance provided by military or civilian legal assistance counsel pursuant to sections 1044 and 1044e of this title.

(B) Assistance provided by a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.

(C) Assistance provided by a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate.

(2) A member of the armed forces or dependent who is the victim of sexual assault shall be informed of the availability of assistance under paragraph (1) as soon as the member or dependent seeks assistance from a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, a military criminal investigator, a victim/witness liaison, or a trial counsel. The member or dependent shall also be informed that the legal assistance and the services of a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator or a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate under paragraph (1) are optional and may be declined, in whole or in part, at any time.

(3) Legal assistance and the services of Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Sexual Assault Victim Advocates under paragraph (1) shall be available to a member or dependent regardless of whether the member or dependent elects unrestricted or restricted (confidential) reporting of the sexual assault.

(b) Restricted Reporting.—(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, a member of the armed forces, or a dependent of a member, who is the victim of a sexual assault may elect to confidentially disclose the details of the assault to an individual specified in paragraph (2) and receive medical treatment, legal assistance under section 1044 of this title, or counseling, without initiating an official investigation of the allegations.

(2) The individuals specified in this paragraph are the following:

(A) A Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.

(B) A Sexual Assault Victim Advocate.

(C) Healthcare personnel specifically identified in the regulations required by paragraph (1).

(Added Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title V, §581(b)(1), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1431; amended Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title XVII, §1716(a)(3)(C), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 969.)

Sections:  Previous  1561a  1562  1563  1564  1564a  1565  1565a  1565b  1566  1566a  1567  1567a  1580  1580a  1581  Next

Last modified: October 26, 2015