RAINN Press

On behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF), RAINN has launched the NSFSaferScience Helpline to provide support for members of the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) who are impacted by sexual assault or harassment. This essential initiative is designed to ensure the safety and well-being of all members working in the remote and demanding environment of Antarctica. NSF and USAP The National Science Foundation is an independent U.S. government agency responsible for funding and managing research…

RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, today announced that Marci M. Matthews has joined its board of directors. Matthews, a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and longtime advocate for survivors of sexual violence, brings more than a decade of service and leadership to the role. Matthews is the executive director of the Cynthia Parker Matthews Family Foundation, where she oversees charitable support for children’s health, education, community development, and sexual assault services. She is also the founder…

On April 28, 2025, Congress gave survivors of tech-enabled sexual abuse a historic win with the landslide passage of the RAINN-backed Take It Down Act, fundamentally changing the way survivors experience the internet.

Washington, D. C. (April 28, 2025) — Today Congress gave survivors of tech-enabled sexual abuse a historic win with the landslide passage of the RAINN-backed TAKE IT DOWN Act, fundamentally changing the way survivors experience the internet. TAKE IT DOWN criminalizes the distribution of non-consensual AI-generated intimate images, commonly called “deepfakes,” and requires online platforms to remove these images within 48 hours of being reported. RAINN, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the country, has…

Honolulu, H.I. (May 13, 2024) – RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization released the following statement as Hawaii SB 2439 Opens in a new tab↗ heads to Governor Josh Green’s desk to be signed into law: SB 2439 opens up a window for survivors to choose to pursue justice. The bill extends the statute of limitations for two years for civil actions brought by adult survivors of sexual violence. This provides adult survivors of…

Columbus, O.H. (April 25, 2024) – Currently, Ohio law makes it legal for someone to rape their spouse. Ohio’s H.B. 161 Opens in a new tab↗ eliminates the spousal exception rule and permits victims to testify against their spouse. It is necessary to prevent sexual violence and provide justice to survivors, regardless of marital status. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, released the following statement as H.B. 161 heads to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s…

Washington, D.C. (November 3, 2023) — Last night, the U.S. Senate voted to renew the Debbie Smith Act, a law that, to date, is responsible for aiding hundreds of thousands of investigations in America. The bill provides critical funding to public crime laboratories to efficiently and swiftly test DNA evidence, including rape kits. “The Debbie Smith Act … has helped law enforcement test hundreds of thousands of pieces of DNA evidence, identified serial rapists, and…

Current New York statute requires that mental incapacitation result from a person being under the influence without their knowledge or consent. New York, NY (October 26, 2023) —  Today RAINN, Miss New York USA Rachelle Di Stasio, Assemblyman Dinowitz, Assemblyman Hevesi, Former U.S. Congresswoman Maloney, and a coalition of other New York-based anti-sexual violence organizations called on New York lawmakers to close the state’s Volutary Incapacitation Loophole. “The decision to drink does not equal consent to…

Washington, D.C. – The Senate just passed a bill to prioritize the rescue of children who are sexually abused and exploited online. The Project Safe Childhood Act Opens in a new tab↗, led by Sens. John Cornyn, Amy Klobuchar, Chuck Grassley, Marsha Blackburn, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, and Chris Murphy, will provide law enforcement and prosecutors with the necessary resources and tools to effectively investigate cases of online sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Child…