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Committee hears bill to codify rights for sexual‑assault survivors, including right to an advocate and to counsel
Summary
Senate Bill 2,387 would create a short, specific list of rights for sexual‑assault survivors — including the right to consult a victim advocate during medical exams, to privately retained counsel during law‑enforcement interviews (with a child‑interview exception), and to receive a rights document prepared by the attorney general.
The House Human Services Committee heard Senate Bill 2,387, a measure that would enumerate rights for sexual‑assault survivors and require law enforcement to provide an attorney‑general prepared document explaining those rights.
Sponsor Senator Desiree Van Alstyne presented testimony from survivor advocate Hannah Johnson and described the bill as the product of 18 months of work with survivor‑service coalitions, forensic nurse examiners and children’s advocacy centers. Van Alstyne read Johnson’s testimony into the record; Johnson described feeling unsure where to turn after her assault and said the proposed rights are intended to make supports and options clear to survivors.
The bill would, among other items, (1) give survivors the right to consult a victim advocate during examinations when an advocate is available, (2) permit survivors to have privately retained counsel present when speaking with law enforcement unless counsel is not available in a timely fashion or law enforcement is doing a forensic interview with a child, (3) provide survivors access to the law‑enforcement report (unless it would hinder an investigation), and (4) require the attorney general to prepare a document explaining those rights.
Multiple advocates testified in support. Caitlin Ravinius, an intern with the North Dakota Domestic and Sexual Violence Coalition, said advocates reduce trauma during exams and interviews and that codifying the right to an advocate helps survivors access support. Susan Summerfeld described her family’s multi‑jurisdictional case and said privately retained counsel for victims can be a critical support, urging committee approval. Greg Kasowski of the Children’s Advocacy Centers noted a limited exception for child forensic interviews where adding private counsel to the interview room can compromise interview technique.
Some technical amendments were discussed, including adding human‑trafficking advocates to the list of supported advocates and a proposal to provide law‑enforcement reports to survivors free of charge. No committee vote was recorded in the transcript for this bill during the session captured.
Ending: Supporters said the bill would improve trauma‑informed response by making common best practices explicit in state law and help survivors know and exercise their options after an assault.
