12/27/13 On Thursday President Obama signed bipartisan provisions into law, authored by Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, to extend whistleblower protections to military sexual assault victims as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“This year’s defense bill contains historic provisions to combat the growing military sexual assault epidemic and create an environment for safe reporting. I am pleased to see these bipartisan measures signed into law to begin eradicating this horrific problem,” said Walorski, a freshman member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Walorski’s military sexual assault provisions specifically designate reports of sexual assault as a form of communication under existing whistleblower protections. Her provisions also require an Inspector General investigation into allegations of retaliatory personnel actions taken against victims who have reported alleged instances of rape, sexual assault, or other forms of sexual misconduct in the military.
Earlier this year, H.R. 1864 was passed as a standalone bill in the House by a vote of 423-0. Companion legislation was introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Claire McCaskill and included in both the House and Senate versions of the NDAA.
