Legislative advocacy

BARCC is a national leader in the fight against sexual violence. Advocating for and supporting legislative reforms that help survivors and empower communities is a key part of what we do. You can help by telling your representatives in government how you feel about sexual violence and what's being done to punish and prevent it. Sign up for action alerts and we will let you know when there is legislation that needs your support.

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Success: An Act Relative to Harrassment Prevention Orders Signed into Law

On February 9th, Massachusetts became a little safer for survivors of sexual violence and stalking. On that day, Governor Patrick signed into law S. 2212, "An Act Relative to Harassment Prevention Orders". This law will provide a crucial legal protection for survivors worried about their safety after a sexual assault or while being stalked. The majority of survivors of sexual assault and stalking know their perpetrators but are not related to or in a dating relationship with them. This law will allow sexual assault and stalking survivors to obtain a criminally enforceable protection order against their assailant or stalker even if they are not family or have ever been in a dating relationship.

SANE Success - Thank you

Full funding has been restored to the states' Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program thanks to the wonderful advocacy work of many organizations and individuals. Read more about this victory on Boston.com and in the Boston Herald.
Join the Support SANE group on Facebook as we continue our advocacy efforts in the coming year.

Bills currently pending in the Massachusetts State House:

Please write or call your legislators to tell them that you support these bills. Find your Massachusetts state representatives.

An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes (HB1728)

This bill will include gender identity and expression in the state's non-discrimination statute and will amend existing hate crime laws to explicitly protect people targeted for violence and harassment. Transgender and gender non-conforming persons face higher levels of violence than the general population, including sexual violence. Legislation which would create anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws are the first step towards ending this violence. Read the full bill. To read more about this issue visit the website of the The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

An Act Relative to Housing Discrimination Against Victims of Domestic Violence Rape, Sexual Assault and Stalking (SB 627, HB 1747)

Often times, survivors are left with no safe place to go after leaving the hospital. If an assault happened at home, the survivor may feel unsafe. The Housing Bill will provide the survivor with security and other safety options such as lock provisions and breaking a lease without penalty. The bill is not intended to create places for people to live, but to ensure a safe living situation. Read the full bill. Click here for a sample letter you can send to your legislator.

Use these search engines to track the status of bills in the Massachusetts House and Senate by number or keyword.

Write your representative

Here are some tips for writing your local, state, or national representative:

Keep your letter or e-mail as brief as possible (one page for a letter). Be sure to include your name and address, even for e-mails.
Address your representative using the courtesy title "The Honorable,"followed by his/her name.
Announce your purpose for writing up front. If you are writing about a specific bill, include its number.
State your position, using facts to support it. Explain the ramifications of the legislation in question.
If you are writing to oppose a piece of legislation, explain why it is wrong and offer alternatives. Ask your representative to explain his/her position on it.
If you are pleased with a position or action your representative has taken, let him/her know.

Find your Massachusetts state representatives.
Find your Federal Congressperson in the House of Representatives.
Find your Federal Senator.
Write to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick