Providing for military sexual trauma awareness; and imposing duties on the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
HB1110 would add a new chapter to Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes creating a military sexual trauma awareness program within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The department would be required to launch a public awareness campaign within 180 days of the effective date to increase understanding of military sexual trauma, encourage reporting by active-duty service members who have experienced it, and direct survivors to available support resources.
The bill defines military sexual trauma as sexual assault or harassment during military service and directs the department to consult with advocacy organizations, mental health professionals, crisis counselors, and veterans with lived experience when designing the campaign. It also requires the department to use a range of outreach materials, including print and digital media, make them mobile-friendly and available in multiple languages as needed, and allows the department to use existing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs materials. Any materials produced must comply with Pennsylvania’s Taxpayer-Funded Advertising Transparency Act.
HB1110 would also impose reporting duties on the department. Within 180 days after the effective date, the department must submit an initial report to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees describing its awareness efforts, metrics, budgets, consultation findings, and planned initiatives. A follow-up report would be due one year later, including information on new campaigns and their impact on the use of in-state military sexual trauma support resources.
The bill’s practical impact would be to formalize state-level outreach and accountability around military sexual trauma, while not creating a new benefits program or criminal penalty. It would primarily affect the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, veterans, active service members, and organizations that provide trauma-related advocacy and counseling services.
No committee transcript or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded debate or roll-call evidence of support or opposition in the supplied materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears focused on survivor awareness and support, with likely broad bipartisan appeal, though implementation details, messaging, and administrative burden could be areas of concern.
HB1110 would amend Title 51 by adding a new chapter that requires the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to run a military sexual trauma awareness campaign and to report on its efforts to legislative committees. It would not change criminal law or veterans’ benefit eligibility, but it would impose new administrative duties, outreach obligations, and reporting requirements on the department, while affecting active-duty service members, veterans, and service providers who may be contacted through the campaign.
No committee discussion or voting record was provided, so the bill’s sentiment cannot be measured from debate or roll call. On its face, the bill is framed as a survivor-support and awareness measure, which suggests generally favorable intent and likely support from veterans’ advocates, trauma professionals, and sexual assault prevention groups. Any reservations would most likely center on implementation costs, messaging effectiveness, and whether the department can meaningfully increase reporting and resource use through public outreach alone.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the scope and cost of the required campaign, the administrative burden of producing multilingual and mobile-friendly materials, and the effectiveness of a public-awareness approach in addressing military sexual trauma. Stakeholders who may press for stronger action could include survivor advocates and mental health professionals, while fiscal or administrative skeptics may question whether the reporting and outreach requirements justify the department’s workload. Because no transcripts were provided, no specific objections or supporters are identified in the record supplied here.