Connecticut’s 2025 legislative session began on January 8 and will adjourn on June 4, 2025. The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence is ready to advocate for policies and funding critical to supporting survivors of sexual violence in Connecticut. With a shifting national landscape and survivors concerned about how the federal administration will respond to sexual assault, The Alliance is working to bolster the rights of survivors in our state.
Securing state funding to offset devastating cuts to victim services
The Alliance seeks to secure $2.7 million in the state budget to ensure that our workforce stays intact after expected federal cuts to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds. Unlike many other states, Connecticut’s budget does not include funds dedicated to providing services to victims of crime. As a result of the expected cut in federal funding, our coalition’s workforces will be decimated and leave victims and survivors with less access to vital interventions, services, and support while navigating complex systems. The CDC estimates the lifetime economic burden of rape during adulthood to be $122,461 per victim. With more than 32% of adults in Connecticut estimated to be rape survivors, the cost to the state (due to health conditions, criminal justice response, and victim and perpetrator lost work or productivity) could be more than $141 trillion. Decreased access to critical sexual assault services will strain the state’s economy as it struggles to meet victims’ needs without the comprehensive, VOCA-supported services and resource network currently in place.
Protecting victims of sexual assault from discrimination
The Alliance seeks to add protections in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit transactions for victims of sexual violence, trafficking, and stalking. Currently, victims of domestic violence are the only victims of crime to have these protections (Public Act No. 22-82). Extending these protections will support survivors seeking justice, healing, and well-being. The Alliance also supports amending the existing requirements for all state employees to complete a one-hour virtual training developed by the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO). Additionally, the Alliance supports modifying the CHRO requirement for all employers with three or more employees to display written information about available resources, ensuring that sexual violence is specifically included. The legislation was proposed in 2024 (Raised H.B. 5414) but did not make it out of committee. The Alliance supports the Trafficking in Persons Council’s recommendation to add victims of trafficking to the state’s protected classes.
Establishing a pathway for testing DNA evidence in sexual assault cases without requiring a police report
The Alliance supports establishing a third pathway for victims to choose to have DNA tested in a sexual assault evidence collection kit without requiring a police report. This change will provide victims of sexual violence with the option to include their name on a sexual assault evidence collection kit, which will indicate the kit is “identified” and therefore tested for DNA evidence without having to make a police report. The testing of DNA evidence will both empower victims to make informed decisions and be a valuable tool for the criminal justice system. The Alliance supports the Division of Criminal Justice’s proposal to make changes to CGS Sec. 19a-112a to include this option.
To learn more about our legislative agenda and our work, visit www.endsexualviolencect.org.