As April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) highlighted her legislation aimed at strengthening protections for sexual assault survivors in the courtroom.

On April 13, 2026, Mace posted on social media reiterating support for the Rape Shield Enhancement Act of 2025:

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The bill, which she reintroduced on May 23, 2025, directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to submit a report examining an amendment to the Federal Rules of Evidence. The report would focus on further limiting the admissibility of evidence regarding an alleged victim’s sexual behavior or predisposition and improving privacy protections for admissible evidence.

The measure builds on the existing Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 412.

In her April 13 post, Mace described the bill’s goals:

“We introduced the Rape Shield Enhancement Act to direct the Judicial Conference to review and provide recommendations to strengthen existing rules to: Further limit the use of a victim’s sexual history and predisposition as evidence, Strengthen privacy protections for sensitive evidence admitted in court, Narrow discovery to prevent overly broad requests for private records, Improve safeguards for handling and disclosure of sensitive victim information.”

She added, “Right now, survivors of sexual assault can be forced to relive their trauma in court. Their sexual history, medical records, psychological background, and private lives are often used by defense attorneys in ways which shift focus away from the accused and onto the victim. The courtroom should never become a place where survivors are put on trial for coming forward. This bill would help better protect survivors and ensure fairness in the courtroom.”

Mace first introduced a version of the legislation, H.R. 10094, the Rape Shield Enhancement Act of 2024, on November 4, 2024. Her office announced the 2025 reintroduction with a press release on June 16, 2025.

The bill remains referred to the House Judiciary Committee with no further action recorded as of April 2026. Passage of the Rape Shield Enhancement Act would require approval by both the House and Senate before reaching President Donald Trump’s desk.

Mace’s recent post followed broader messaging during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, including references to sexual assault as one of the most underreported crimes and resources for survivors.

Sexual assault remains one of the most underreported crimes in the United States

For every 1,000 sexual assaults:

    • 50 lead to an arrest
    • 28 result in a felony conviction
    • Only 25 perpetrators are sentenced to incarceration

This means that approximately 98% of perpetrators walk free without full criminal accountability through the justice system, according to RAINN.

DFW Resources

Survivors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are not alone and can access free, confidential support at any time. Key local resources include the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center 24-hour hotline at 972-641-7273, the Women’s Center of Tarrant County (Tarrant County Rape Crisis) 24-hour hotline at 817-927-2737, and Parkland Health’s Victim Intervention Program / Rape Crisis Center crisis line at 214-590-0430. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is also available 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or online at rainn.org.

These organizations provide crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling, and accompaniment through medical or legal processes—regardless of when the assault occurred or whether it was reported to law enforcement.