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119-hr-10870119th Congress

Military Domestic Violence Survivors Support Act

Sponsored By: Representative Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]

Introduced

Summary

Expands Special Victims' Counsel coverage to domestic violence. This bill would add domestic violence to the offenses that qualify for Special Victims' Counsel, clarify victim advocate roles, require a Department of Defense briefing on implementation within 1 year, and delay the changes until 2 years after enactment.

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  • Service members who experience domestic violence would become eligible for Special Victims' Counsel legal help, giving survivors access to military legal advocates alongside health and victim advocates.
  • The bill clarifies language by replacing "domestic abuse advocate" with "domestic abuse victim advocate" and explicitly includes those advocates among roles that may serve or accompany Special Victims' Counsel.
  • The Secretary of Defense must brief the House and Senate Armed Services Committees within 1 year on policies to implement the changes, and the amendments would take effect 2 years after enactment.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More help for military domestic violence victims

If enacted, this bill would let Special Victims’ Counsel (SVC) represent people affected by domestic violence as well as sex-related offenses under 10 U.S.C. 1044e. It would add two military offense articles (928b and 128b) to the list of covered offenses and rename advocacy roles to "domestic abuse victim advocate." These changes would take effect two years after enactment. The Secretary of Defense would have to brief the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on implementation within one year.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]

NH • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]

    NE • R

    Sponsored 10/22/2026

  • Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 10/26/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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