In Senate Hearing with National Guard Chief, Shaheen Discusses Importance of Addressing and Eliminating Sexual Assault and Harassment in the National Guard

**In the FY2025 NDAA, Shaheen secured provisions to improve accountability and transparency for investigations into sexual harassment and assault cases in the National Guard**

(Washington, DC) – During a hearing today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, questioned National Guard Bureau Chief General Daniel Hokanson about how the Guard Bureau can incentivize states to address sexual assault and harassment in the U.S. National Guard and what more Congress can do to encourage states to take action. You can watch Senator Shaheen’s full remarks during the hearing here. 

“Instances of sexual harassment in the National Guard continue to be an issue,” said Senator Shaheen. “In 2021, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee enacted historic reforms to address sexual assault and harassment in the military but given the state and local jurisdiction of National Guard units, those key reforms don’t necessarily apply to the National Guard. Congress must work with the National Guard Bureau to encourage states to take action to address this issue.” 

During her full remarks, Senator Shaheen highlighted legislation she championed in the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee-passed fiscal year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to require the Defense Advisory Committee to study sexual assault in the National Guard and report to Congress, and also to strengthen the Office of Complex Investigations and their ability to look at command climate in their investigations. 

As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Shaheen was pivotal in its adoption of historic reforms to the Uniform Code of Military Justice to address sexual assault in the military, including taking those offenses out of a service member’s chain of command. As Shaheen noted, though, these federal reforms don’t necessarily apply to National Guard units under state and local jurisdiction. 

As Co-Chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate National Guard Caucus, Senator Shaheen has long advocated on behalf of National Guard members and highlighted the invaluable service they provide to New Hampshire and the nation. This year, Shaheen successfully fought for a number of provisions to secure increased accountability and transparency for investigations into sexual assault cases in the National Guard. The NDAA includes Shaheen’s provision to require the Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces (DAC-IPAD) to conduct a study on how the Committee’s historic 2021 reforms made to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) regarding sexual assault in the military can apply to the National Guard. The bill also includes Shaheen’s language to strengthen the Office of Complex Investigations (OCI), the National Guard Bureau’s administrative arm responsible for conducting reviews of allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. The FY25 Committee-passed NDAA also includes provisions to address sexual assault in the active duty Armed Forces, including a provision to extend the Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces for an additional five years and a provision to remove marriage as a defense to rape and sexual assault.    

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