A resolution recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
S. Res. 693 is a Senate resolution recognizing April 2026 as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and expressing support for its goals and ideals. The resolution states that the Senate is committed to awareness, prevention, and deterrence of sexual violence, and it uses a series of findings to describe the scope and harms of sexual assault in the United States, including impacts on women, men, children, military service members, and communities of color and Tribal communities.
The resolution highlights the work of rape crisis centers, victim service organizations, public health professionals, law enforcement, educators, and volunteers, and it points to resources such as RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline and the Department of Defense’s Safe Helpline. It also emphasizes prevention, survivor support, and prosecution of perpetrators, while noting the role of DNA technology and the problem of underreporting and restrictive statutes of limitations.
This resolution does not change federal or state law, create new programs, or appropriate funds. Its legal effect is limited to a formal Senate statement of support for National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Its practical impact is symbolic and agenda-setting: it reinforces public awareness efforts, encourages prevention and survivor services, and underscores the importance of criminal accountability, including in areas where state law—such as criminal statutes of limitations—can affect prosecution of sexual assault cases.
The overall sentiment around the resolution is strongly supportive and noncontroversial. It was agreed to by unanimous consent, indicating broad bipartisan agreement with the resolution’s purpose and findings. The tone of the measure is commemorative and advocacy-oriented, with emphasis on honoring survivors and the organizations and professionals that support them.
There is little apparent contention in the available record, and no recorded votes or committee debate are provided. The resolution’s findings do touch on potentially sensitive policy issues, including restrictive statutes of limitations, underreporting, military sexual assault, and disparities affecting communities of color and American Indian and Alaska Native populations, but the resolution itself does not propose changes to those policies. As a result, any disagreement would likely arise not from the resolution’s support for awareness month, but from broader debates over criminal justice reform, survivor services, and prevention policy.