{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221174742/http://turner.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363980", "Congressman Turner Continues to Push for Military Sexual Assault Reforms in Compromised FY2014 NDAA", "2013-12-09", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Michael Turner", "T000463", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, commends House and Senate Armed Services Committees colleagues on their continued efforts to pass the FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). With the 2014 calendar year quickly approaching and the Senate currently in a stall, Committee leaders from both bodies have negotiated a comprehensive version of the bill intended to move through Congress this week.\nThis year, Congressman Turner has continued his work with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus to create further legislation to combat the issue of sexual assault within the military and ensure both that victims are cared for and that perpetrators are brought to justice and held accountable. Specifically, during the 113th Congressional Session, Congressman Turner along with co-sponsor Rep. Niki Tsongas introduced the BE SAFE Act and the Article 32 Reform Act as well as the No Tolerance Act with Rep. Joe Heck. Most of the provisions from these three bills have been incorporated into the House version of the FY2014 NDAA.\n\u201cThese legislative initiatives are unprecedented and powerful steps toward the eradication of sexual assault in the military,\u201d said Congressman Turner. \u201cThese substantial bi-partisan reforms will enhance the rights of victims, strengthen military whistleblower protection laws, improve the ways in which the services respond to a sexual assault report, and ensure that perpetrators are appropriately held accountable and prosecuted for their crimes.\u201d\nThe provision in the FY2014 NDAA will:\n \n    Eliminate a Convening Authority\u2019s ability to dismiss or modify a court-martial conviction for serious offenses, including rape or sexual assault;\n    Require the Services to provide a detailed military counsel to survivors of sexual assault within the military to assist through the investigation and criminal process;\n    Guarantee that those convicted of sexual assault are, at a minimum, dishonorably discharged or dismissed from military service;\n    Limit the Article 32 preliminary investigation to a probable cause determination;\n    Abolish the five-year statute of limitations on Trial by Courts-Martial for sexual assault and sexual assault of a child;\n    Affirm the commander\u2019s authority to consider the need for and provide for the temporary reassignment or removal of a service member who is accused of committing a sex-related crime from a from a unit in which the victim also works or from position of authority.\n    Enhance protections for prospective members of the Armed Forces against sexual assault and unwanted sexual contact during entry-level processing and training.\n \n\u201cThese significant reforms offer considerable momentum toward changing the deep-rooted and flawed culture that has allowed sex crimes to pervade our armed forces,\u201d Turner continues. \u201cBut they will not be the last. This bill is not a ceiling but rather a robust foundation upon which we will continue to build.\u201d\n\u201cI am very optimistic that the negotiated NDAA, which both the House and Senate Armed Services Committee have put a lot of time and effort into, will receive a swift vote in both chambers,\u201d said Turner. \u201cIt is critical that we pass this legislation in order to provide authority and funding for Department of Defense activities. Additionally, this bill takes steps to reform the UCMJ in order to better protect our service members against violent sex related crimes.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221174742/http://turner.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363980"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8559199050068855, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}