House approves amendment to better support sexual assault survivors in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mississippi House of Representatives approved an amendment Wednesday to a bill intended to better support sexual assault survivors.

It revives language from a bill that previously died in the Senate.

Representative Dana McLean filed House Bill 928, which would have required emergency rooms in the state to have a sufficient number of rape kits and someone present to perform them.

That bill passed the House unanimously, but died on the last deadline day in the Senate.

The Senate Public Health and Welfare chairman failed to put the bill on the committees agenda.

Sen. Hob Bryan tells WLBT News that’s because he was receiving conflicting information from hospitals and advocates. He says he would rather look at the issue this summer to more fully understand it.

However, McLean was joined Monday by the Attorney General’s office, other legislators, advocates, law enforcement and survivors to call on the bill to be revived.

She did so by amending Senate Bill 2211 from the House floor Wednesday.

That is by updating the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights to include additional rights for sexual assault victims.

Because the House made changes to the bill, the Senate would have to concur in order to send it to a conference committee.

That would include three members from each chamber to hash out details of a compromise.

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