Attorney General Lynn Fitch urged the Mississippi Legislature to pass SB 2211, a bill that would bring Mississippi’s Sexual Assault Victims Bill of Rights into compliance with federal law, resulting in an increase in annual federal funding for victim service programs by as much as 10 percent.
The Attorney General’s Office participated in a legislative press conferencetoday to support sexual assault survivors hosted by Representative DanaMcLean.“The emotional and mental trauma that sexual assault causes often lasts alifetime. It robs victims of their dignity, security, and peace of mind,” saidAttorney General Lynn Fitch. "And I want to thank Representative DanaMcLean for her steadfast support for survivors of this heinous crime. TheAttorney General’s Office is also dedicated to working with these survivors andproviding them with resources to support them on their journey to healing. SB2211 would give Mississippi much needed resources to stand with survivors ofsexual assault, as well as domestic violence, child abuse and exploitation,human trafficking, and more. I am grateful to the Legislature for prioritizingthis bill and look forward to seeing it signed into law."
Attorney General Fitch created the first AGO Special Victims Unit to investigateand prosecute crimes like sexual assault. In addition, the AGO Bureau of VictimAssistance (BOVA)runs the State’s Sexual Assault Payment program so that novictim ever sees a bill for their rape kit. In 2022 and 2023,BOVA worked with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) to update the Sexual AssaultForensic Examination kits for the first time in 15 years, streamlining a 21-stepevidence collection process down to 9 steps, reducing the duration of the examand trauma to the victim. The Attorney General’s Office also sits on a task forceestablished by the Legislature to address the timely processing of rape kits andthe Office worked with the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence last year to support a project for training more SANE nurses to address the lack of medicalprofessionals who know how to work and care for victims of sexual assault in Mississippi.
SB 2211 was introduced by Senators Angela Hill and Joey Fillingane and wasapproved by that chamber unanimously. It has cleared the House Judiciary BCommittee and awaits a vote on the House floor.
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