Bill Text: TX SCR34 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging the United States Congress to pass the I am Vanessa Guillén Act.
Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-3)
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2021-04-21 - Left pending in committee [SCR34 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SCR34-Introduced.html
| 87R7895 TBO-D | ||
| By: Alvarado | S.C.R. No. 34 | |
|
|
||
| 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. | ||
