Gov. McAuliffe signs Del. Filler-Corn's House Bill 1102. Photo contributed
On Thursday, April 14, Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed several bills into law relating to sexual assault, including legislation related to the storage and testing of physical evidence recovery kits (PERKs), as well as legislation that enables a minor to consent to an evidence recovery examination over the objections of a parent or guardian and Del. Eileen Filler-Corn’s (D-41) bill, HB 1102, which promotes collaboration between state agencies and campus law enforcement in the development of trauma-informed training to ensure that survivors of sexual assault receive the support and evidence-based treatment they need.
“From day one, the health and safety of Virginia’s women has been a chief priority of our administration. That is why I created and enabled a group of leaders and advocates to offer solutions to enhance the services and protections this Commonwealth offers to survivors of sexual violence," said McAuliffe. “The survivors of these malicious crimes are trusting in us to provide a full accounting of these cases and to bring perpetrators to justice. To ensure their safety, it is vital that we have all areas of law enforcement, government, and private organizations working together. The measures…provide a permanent and coherent solution for that process,” he said.
“I’m so proud to have sponsored a bill that will reduce the trauma of survivors by developing training for law enforcement,” Filler-Corn said. “The Department of Criminal Justice services and SCHEV working together will greatly improve the lives of survivors of sexual assault.” The Delegate from Springfield was also pleased to serve as a co-patron on HB 1160, which establishes procedures for handling evidence kits in sexual assaults, after having introduced a similar bill this past session herself.
All legislation signed by the governor will take effect July 1, 2016.