Pentagon Shields Sexual Assault Records From Privacy Act
Published Date: 7/16/2026
Rule
Summary
The Department of Defense is updating its rules to keep parts of the CATCH Program Records private, especially to protect victims and confidential sources during investigations of adult sexual assault. This change means some info won’t be shared under the Privacy Act to avoid messing up investigations. The new rule kicks in on August 17, 2026, helping DoD keep investigations safe without extra costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Victim and Source Confidentiality Protected
DoD will withhold parts of the CATCH Program Records to protect the identity of victims and confidential sources and to avoid interfering with criminal, civil, or administrative investigations of adult sexual assault. These confidentiality protections take effect on August 17, 2026.
Access and Amendment Rights Removed
DoD is exempting portions of the CATCH system (DoD-0024) from Privacy Act provisions that give people the right to request access to or amendment of their records. That means if you voluntarily submit information into the CATCH program, you may not be able to see or change those records starting August 17, 2026.
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