Washington, D.C.– Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) is cosponsoring legislation that provides added protections for members of the military that are victims of sexual assault. H.R. 3775, the Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment Act, allows veterans and members of the armed forces to seek care from private health care providers outside of the military network. This will give sexual assault survivors and victims access to more timely care and flexibility in treatment.

“The physical and emotional pain that victims of sexual assault endure is horrific, and our current laws don’t allow all survivors to access the care they need for their recovery,” said Paulsen. “Allowing our service members to receive treatment from private providers will help them get through an extremely difficult time in their lives.”

According to a Department of Defense survey, only one-third of female sexual assault victims reported the crime to the military. Of those, 62% reported that they suffered retaliation for speaking up. The most recent Pentagon report on military sexual assault, issued in 2013, found there had been a 37% increase in cases over the previous two years.

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov. 

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