Legislation Addresses Financial Burden for Survivors Whose Rights Were Violated by Federal Gov’t, Including Lost Income, Medical Costs, Housing Stability, Trauma
As a Survivor of Sexual Abuse, Pressley Has Led Calls for Accountability, Highlighted Economic & Emotional Harm Borne by Epstein Survivors
Bill Text | Bill Summary | Press Conference | Photos
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Congresswomen Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) and Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act, first-of-its-kind legislation that would create a restitution fund in the judicial branch for survivors of sexual violence whose rights were violated by the federal government, including all survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Congresswoman Pressley announced this historic proposal alongside survivors and survivors’ rights advocates at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
As a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Congresswoman Pressley has been a dedicated advocate for survivors’ justice and recently discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that Epstein survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability.
The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act would create a historic investment to support survivors of sexual violence and hold the federal government accountable when it fails to protect survivors’ rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. The estimated lifetime cost of rape is $122,461 per victim. This legislation would address the burden survivors carry, including significant long-term economic and non-economic impacts of sexual violence, from lost income and medical costs to housing instability and enduring trauma.
“The financial, physical, and emotional trauma that survivors of sexual violence carry is a lifetime sentence,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “By no choice of their own, survivors can incur debilitating costs due to medical needs, lost income, housing instability, and mental health support. Far too often, the federal government has been complicit and failed to meet its moral and legal obligation to fight for accountability and relieve this economic burden—our bill would change that by holding our government, abusers, and their co-conspirators to account and helping our survivors get on a pathway to healing. The ignored burden that survivors carry is a stain in our legal system and must be addressed immediately.”
“Survivors should never have to pay the price when our government fails to protect them,” said Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández. “For too long, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s horrific abuse were denied justice while powerful people were protected. That failure has real costs: lost wages, medical bills, housing instability, and trauma that can last a lifetime. We cannot undo the harm, but we can make sure survivors are not left to carry the burden alone. The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act gives survivors that path to restitution.”
“Far too often, we have seen our government fail survivors of sexual violence who have risked everything to come forward,” said Congresswoman Deborah Ross. “Trauma is often just one part of the burden survivors carry, and it is often compounded by lost income, housing insecurity, and economic hardship. We have seen this play out in the administration’s treatment of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s abuse, who have been dismissed and demonized. Now more than ever, we must ensure all survivors receive the justice they deserve. I am proud to introduce this bill to establish a first-of-its-kind economic relief fund for survivors of sexual violence.”
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are tens of thousands of rape and sexual assault victimizations annually, amounting to 23 violent victimizations for every 1,000 people in 2024. Despite its prevalence, approximately two out of three sexual assaults go unreported.
When a survivor takes action to report the crime, the Crime Victims’ Rights Act grants them specific protections, including the right to timely and accurate notice of any release of the accused. However, the Jeffrey Epstein sweetheart deal is proof that these rights are not always enforced. Furthermore, there is no relief for survivors when their victims’ rights are violated.
To support survivors of sexual violence and empower survivors who choose to come forward, the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act would:
- Establish the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Program to provide compensation to eligible victims for harm and losses.
- Create an independent Office of Special Adjudicators for Survivors Restitution within the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to review petitions and determine awards through a streamlined, non-adversarial, and trauma-informed process.
- Establish the Survivors Rights Restitution Fund within the Department of the Treasury to finance awards through federal forfeiture proceeds tied to trafficking and sexual exploitation offenses, voluntary contributions, and authorized appropriations.
The bill is cosponsored by: Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Brendan Boyle, Salud Carbajal, André Carson, Yvette Clarke, Lou Correa, Jim Costa, Madeleine Dean, Maxine Dexter, Debbie Dingell, Maxwell Frost, Robert Garcia, Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Adelita Grijalva, Hank Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Summer Lee, Stephen Lynch, Sarah McBride, Jennifer McClellan, LaMonica McIver, Christian Menefee, Kweisi Mfume, Gwen Moore, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chellie Pingree, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Emily Randall, Andrea Salinas, Lateefah Simon, Melanie Stansbury, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, James Walkinshaw, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Frederica Wilson.
This bill is endorsed by: Democratic Women’s Caucus; World Without Exploitation; me too. International; Women’s HQ; UltraViolet Action; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; Safe Exit Initiative; RIA, Inc.; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA); My Life My Choice; National Network to End Domestic Violence; National Women’s Law Center Action Fund; Boston Area Rape Crisis Center; Survivor Justice Network; Equal Rights Advocates; Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA); Victim Rights Law Center; Them Apples Music; Justice for Migrant Women; Esperanza United; National Women’s Political Caucus; Feminist Majority; Legal Momentum, the Women’s Legal Defense & Education Fund; South Asian SOAR.
“Sex trafficking survivors are often asked to take enormous risks to report their abuse and cooperate with the justice system, only to find that the same institutions demanding their trust can fail to protect their rights,” said Becca Zipkin, Vice President of Policy and Programs, World Without Exploitation. “Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein experienced that failure in one of the most public cases imaginable, but they are far from alone. At World Without Exploitation, we work alongside survivors who know that justice must include changing the systems that allow exploitation to flourish and holding institutions accountable when they fail the people they are supposed to protect. The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act is an important step toward that goal by giving survivors a meaningful path to redress when the federal government violates their rights. It also recognizes something survivors have long told us — economic justice is survivor justice.”
“As a survivor who has worked alongside thousands of survivors I’m clear that the full story of what it actually takes to survive is not often told. Alongside the mental, physical and emotional toll of the violence that we endured is the financial burden of untangling the web that the trauma creates to try and find our way back to ourselves – there is an actual cost to that work and it’s rare that we have support footing that bill. This country and our government has to ask itself what does it owe survivors? Rep. Pressley is doing her part to begin answering that question,” said Tarana Burke, Co-Founder and Chief Vision Officer, Me Too
“Survivors have been paying the price for their assault for far too long,” said Liz Speakman, Executive Director, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. “We know that money is not what heals trauma but it goes a long way to providing the space, time and resources to make the path a little easier.”
“Survivors should not have to spend decades paying for crimes committed against us. When institutions fail us, that failure becomes generational trauma. We deserve privacy, dignity, and restitution—not someday, but now. Congresswoman Pressley’s bill gives survivors a path forward,” said Dani Bensky, survivor and advocate.
“As a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, I am heartened by the introduction of the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act of 2026. This vital legislation not only acknowledges our trauma but also provides a pathway to justice with meaningful compensation. It’s time for Congress to act swiftly, reinforcing that survivors deserve to be heard, believed, and supported in our healing journey,” said Lara Blume McGee, Survivor and CEO of Team Up World.
Text of the bill can be accessed here and a bill summary is available here. Video from the press conference can be accessed here, and photos can be accessed here.
As a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Congresswoman Pressley has led Democrats on the House Oversight Committee calling for a full, public Oversight hearing to prioritize the individuals who survived the horrific abuse perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their associates, and whose firsthand accounts may not be sufficiently represented in the Department of Justice’s records.
Rep. Pressley has led the demand for a hearing with survivors as the Committee has continued its investigation and after the Congresswoman successfully helped pass a motion by Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Congresswoman Summer Lee to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files.
In May 2026, Congresswoman Pressley and House Oversight Committee Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach on the Epstein investigation and centering survivors’ experience. Rep. Pressley discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability. Following the hearing, Rep. Pressley made an impassioned call for accountability, healing, and restorative justice for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse.
In recent interviews, Rep. Pressley described why her work to subpoena the Epstein files is deeply personal to her.
Throughout her time in Congress, serving on the Boston City Council, and her entire life, Rep. Pressley has been a champion for justice for survivors of sexual violence and reproductive freedom.
- In May 2026, Pressley and House Oversight Committee Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach on the Epstein investigation. Rep. Pressley discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability. Following the hearing, Rep. Pressley made an impassioned call for accountability, healing, and restorative justice for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse.
- In April 2026, Pressley joined Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Oversight Democrats in filing a resolution to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in civil contempt of Congress after she failed to appear for her legally-binding, bipartisan subpoena to be deposed on the Epstein investigation and the White House’s cover-up of the Epstein files. Less than an hour later, Republicans announced a date for Bondi’s appearance before the committee.
- In April 2026, Pressley issued a statement after First Lady Melania Trump echoed Congresswoman Pressley’s longstanding calls for a Congressional hearing that centers survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse.
- In March 2026, Pressley delivered an impassioned speech for survivors of sexual violence and trauma—including for activists with the farm workers’ movement, including Dolores Huerta, who shared their stories publicly earlier this month.
- In February 2026, Pressley joined survivors of Epstein’s abuse and members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus to demand transparency, accountability, and healing for survivors. Rep. Pressley condemned the botched, partial release of the Epstein files by Trump’s Department of Justice that exposed the identities of survivors while redacting alleged abusers’ names.
- In December 2025, Pressley condemned the Trump Admin after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that the Department of Justice will fail to release all of the Epstein files to the public by the legal deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law that was forced through by House Democrats and signed into law by President Trump in November.
- In November 2025, Pressley applauded the House vote to release the Epstein files and renewed her push for Congressional action and accountability.
- In September 2025, Pressley held a media availability with Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Committee Democrats following a closed-door Oversight Committee roundtable with survivors of unconscionable exploitation and abuse perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their co-conspirators.
- In September 2025, in response to pressure from Rep. Pressley, the House Oversight Committee held a closed-door roundtable with survivors of the unconscionable exploitation by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their co-conspirators.
- In August 2025, Pressley reintroduced the Protections and Transparency in the Workplace Act to combat sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
- In August 2025, Pressley led committee Democrats in calling for a Congressional hearing to prioritize the individuals who survived the horrific abuse associated with by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their associates, and whose firsthand accounts may not be sufficiently represented in the Department of Justice’s records.
- In August 2025, Pressley issued a statement after Chairman James Comer issued a subpoena to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release files relating to child sex trafficker and Trump’s longtime friend Jeffrey Epstein. This action came after Rep. Pressley successfully helped pass a motion by Congresswoman Summer Lee and Ranking Member Robert Garcia to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files.
- In July 2025, Pressley in an interview described why her work to subpoena the Epstein files is deeply personal to her.
- In July 2025, Pressley joined the successful effort to pass a motion by Congresswoman Summer Lee and Ranking Member Robert Garcia to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files.
- In July 2024, Rep. Pressley reintroduced the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act of 2024.
- In June 2024, Rep. Pressley renewed her calls for accountability and survivor-focused solutions following the damning reports of a toxic work environment at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
- In June 2024, Rep. Pressley also sent a letter to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) requesting information about the botched closure of FCI Dublin, abuse of women while they were being transferred to other facilities, and BOP’s management of investigations into the staff sexual misconduct and abuse at FCI Dublin and other federal BOP facilities.
- Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of H.R. 5388, legislation that would prevent the Secretary of Education from rolling back Title IX protections for survivors, as well as H.Res. 560, a resolution calling for an impeachment inquiry into Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, following reporting on new allegations of sexual misconduct committed by the Associate Justice.
- In April 2019, following the passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019, Rep. Pressley issued a statement honoring her mother, Sandra Pressley, a survivor of domestic violence. Rep. Pressley is also the lead co-sponsor of an amendment to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that would establish the first-ever grant program dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, which passed the House of Representatives in March 2021.
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