Bill Text: TX HCR36 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging the United States Congress to pass the I am Vanessa Guillén Act.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-11 - Referred to Defense & Veterans' Affairs [HCR36 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HCR36-Introduced.html
87R7895 TBO-D | ||
By: Neave | H.C.R. No. 36 |
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WHEREAS, The brutal murder of Vanessa Guillén and the | ||
reaction from service members on social media highlight the | ||
military's inadequate response to sexual harassment, sexual | ||
assault, and missing persons; and | ||
WHEREAS, Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén had been missing | ||
for more than two months before her remains were discovered, and the | ||
murder investigation received widespread attention when law | ||
enforcement identified the suspect, a fellow military member whom | ||
Guillén was planning to formally accuse of sexual harassment; this | ||
prompted countless members of the U.S. military to share their | ||
personal experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault on | ||
social media with the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen; and | ||
WHEREAS, A close look at current military laws and policies | ||
reveals concerning flaws, including conflicts of interest when | ||
commanding officers make charging decisions, investigations being | ||
made by untrained service members, and limited options for | ||
reporting sexual harassment; too many military members have been | ||
failed by this system, and immediate action is imperative to avoid | ||
another tragedy; and | ||
WHEREAS, To correct these issues, the I am Vanessa Guillén | ||
Act has been introduced in Congress with bipartisan support from | ||
the U.S. House of Representatives; if passed, the legislation would | ||
ensure that necessary changes are made, such as transferring | ||
charging decisions for sex-related offenses to a chief prosecutor, | ||
requiring independent investigations that are conducted by trained | ||
investigators, and establishing a confidential reporting option | ||
for sexual harassment that can convert to a formal complaint at any | ||
time; in addition, it would direct the Government Accountability | ||
Office to evaluate response procedures relating to missing service | ||
members; and | ||
WHEREAS, The brave men and women who fight for our nation | ||
deserve access to justice, and Congress should listen to the | ||
service members calling for change in the aftermath of Vanessa | ||
Guillén's murder; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to pass | ||
the I am Vanessa Guillén Act; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official | ||
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to | ||
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of | ||
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the | ||
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that | ||
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a | ||
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |