On Wednesday, at the request of Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator Pou, NJCASA convened an intimate round-table discussion to discuss the positive impact of the FY 16 funding for sexual violence services and to urge Governor Christie to sign the Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act of 2015.
The laws signing would send a message that New Jersey takes the crime seriously, said Patricia Teffenhart, executive director of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Twenty-five states already have similar laws in place, she said.
NJCASA was joined by our program members Quarticha Perkins from Passaic County Womens Center, Laura Luciano from the Rutgers University Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance, and Nicole Bearce, Vice Chair of NJCASAs Board of Trustees. Each shared a bit about the role the increased funding and the signing of critical legislation will play in supporting sexual violence services in New Jersey.