Governor signs campus sexual assault privacy bill
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum joined Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday for the ceremonial signing of a bill that provides stronger confidentiality protections for the victims of sexual assault on Oregon’s college campuses.
With the signing of House Bill 3476 into law, Oregon has one of the strongest confidentiality protections for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the country, Rosenblum said.
“There is an epidemic of sexual violence on our college campuses that must be addressed,” the attorney general said. “Victims of sexual assault in Oregon should be guaranteed safe and confidential options for counseling and to begin the healing process. I want to thank the Oregon legislature and Governor Brown for standing on the side of privacy and supporting our college students.”
House Bill 3476 ensures the privacy of conversations with a victim advocate and empowers survivors to determine when their stories may become public. The new law also tasks the Oregon Department of Justice with developing training and certification requirements for advocates.
Rosenblum thanked the Oregon Legislature on both sides of the aisle for their support of the bill. The bill received bipartisan support, including chief supporters Representative Lininger (D – Lake Oswego), Senator Gelser (D – Corvallis), Representative Sprenger (R – Scio), and Senator Winters (R – Salem). HB 3476 passed unanimously in both chambers of the Oregon Legislature.
In addition to HB 3476, Rosenblum has advocated for two other bills this legislative session that support crime victims:
• Senate Bill 188 protects victims of sex crimes by criminalizing the dissemination of intimate images, also referred to as “revenge porn.” Senate Bill 188 was introduced at the request of Rosenblum, and was carried by Oregon Senator Gelser and Representative Williamson. The bill passed both chambers of the Oregon Legislature unanimously and is expected to be signed into law by Governor Brown.
• SB 525 brings Oregon law in line with federal laws prohibiting the possession of guns and ammunition by domestic violence offenders who have a restraining order, or who have been convicted of certain misdemeanor crimes involving domestic violence. In an average year, around 20 percent of all homicides are related to domestic violence, and approximately 66 percent of those homicides involve the use of a firearm.
