A pair of senators have introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow US service members to sue the military over sexual assault in what would be a significant development in the fight against sexual misconduct in the armed forces.
The Military Sexual Trauma Accountability Act, co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Sen. John Kennedy, would allow service members to sue the military in cases of rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual contact, sexual assault of a child, sexual harassment and the wrongful distribution of intimate images. The bill was introduced on Wednesday.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that within the first 10 years of the legislation being active, “there would be 120,000 people who would file successful claims under this bill,” a Democratic Senate aide told CNN. “That speaks to just how prevalent of a problem this is.”
The US military has long grappled with how to confront sexual assault and harassment within its ranks. A report for fiscal year 2024 released last May said the Defense Department received 8,195 reports from service members of sexual assault, 320 fewer than in 2023.
But the newly proposed legislation comes on the heels of a high-profile case at Fort Hood, Texas, where the military has brought charges against an Army gynecologist who has been accused by dozens of women of secretly recording patients, conducting unnecessary procedures during their exams and other sexual misconduct.
