STATE SENATE PASSES ‘VANESSA GUILLEN’ BILL

  

A bill has passed in the Texas State Senate in honor of slain Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen.

Senate Bill 623 aims to protect members of the Texas Military forces from sexual assault and to ensure swift justice for victims.

The bill would establish a sexual assault response coordinator who would sit outside the chain of command of the Texas Army National Guard, Air National Guard and State Guard.

The coordinator would provide certain resources to victims if they wanted them and could refer cases to independent investigators within the Texas Rangers.

The Texas Legislature has no authority over the U.S. military, but Texas has a state military force of almost 24,000.  The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Cesar J. Blanco, of El Paso, says the large size of the state’s military could catalyze action in other states and even within the U.S. Army.

The Senate passed the bill by unanimous voice vote and sent it to the Texas House, where the measure is pending in committee.

Guillen disappeared a year ago this Thursday.