Interagency working group to study Federal efforts to collect data on sexual violence

(a)

Establishment

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall establish an interagency working group (in this section referred to as the Working Group) to study Federal efforts to collect data on sexual violence and to make recommendations on the harmonization of such efforts. (b)

Composition

The Working Group shall be comprised of at least one representative from the following agencies, who shall be selected by the head of that agency: (1)The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2)The Department of Defense. (3)The Department of Education. (4)The Department of Health and Human Services. (5)The Department of Justice. (c)

Duties

The Working Group shall consider the following: (1)What activity constitutes different acts of sexual violence. (2)Whether reports that use the same terms for acts of sexual violence are collecting the same data on these acts. (3)Whether the context which lead to an act of sexual violence should impact how that act is accounted for in reports. (4)Whether the data collected is presented in a way that allows the general public to understand what acts of sexual violence are included in each measurement. (5)Steps that agencies that compile reports relating to sexual violence can take to avoid double counting incidents of sexual violence. (d)

Report required

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Working Group shall publish and submit to Congress a report on the following: (1)The activities of the Working Group. (2)Recommendations to harmonize Federal efforts to collect data on sexual violence. (3)Actions Federal agencies can take to implement the recommendations described in paragraph (2). (4)Recommendations for congressional action to implement the recommendations described in paragraph (2). (e)

Termination

The Working Group shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the report is submitted pursuant to subsection (d). (f)

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

Harmonize

The term harmonize includes efforts to coordinate sexual violence data collection to produce complementary information, as appropriate, without compromising programmatic needs. (2)

Sexual violence

The term sexual violence includes an unwanted sexual act (including both contact and non-contact) about which the Federal Government collects information.