Military Justice Improvement Act

Senate Bill 1752, more commonly known as the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA), was introduced by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in 2013 as an attempt to reform procedures for determinations to proceed to trial by court-martial for certain offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and for other purposes. The focus of the bill is to address the way that sexual assault in the United States military is handled through the military justice system and the chain of command.[1] The bill has been criticized as potentially leading to a decrease in sexual assault prosecutions and in the protections offered to alleged victims of sexual assault.[2] A watered down bill that keeps Commanders in charge has been championed by Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri.[3] These criticisms come from the status quo who wants to keep things exactly as they are, allowing commanders to continue covering up sexual assaults in their ranks.

Senator Mazie Hirono speaking at a press conference, alongside fellow Senators, in support of MJIA in 2012.

Although Senator Gillibrand has been working (with bi-partisan support) to get this bill passed since 2014, it continues to be stalled in the Senate. In 2019, it was not even allowed on the floor to be debated. As of July 2020, Gillibrand has stated they will offer this bill attached to the NDAA for 2021.

References
  1. "S. 1752 - Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013". Congress.gov.
  2. Stimson, Cully (June 11, 2015). "How Gillibrand's Military Sexual Assault Legislation Could Hurt Victims". The Daily Signal. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  3. Caplan-Bricker, Nora (March 6, 2014). "Military sexual assault vote: Senator Claire McCaskill on her bill". The New Republic. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
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