Protecting Texans and Giving Victims a Voice

Wednesday, February 11 was Capitol Day for The Texas Council on Family Violence and the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.

Groups from across the state united in Austin to educate and engergize each other and elected officials.

I had the opportunity to meet Juanita Zavala, a caseworker  from the Family Time Crisis and Counseling Center in Humble.

She and others were advocating for full funding for local family violence and sexual assault programs across the state.

 And as Valentine’s Day approaches, they are stressing the importance of healthy relationships for women, children and families.

The group is also supporting specific legislation that would:

* extend the length of time for which claims relating to sexual abuse can be filed in civil court

* fulfill a federal mandate by creating a 48-hour time limit for HIV/AIDS testing of a defendant after indictment of a sex crime

*preserve funding for sexual assault related services through collection of a fee paid by customers of  adult entertainment businesses.