The Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA) is beginning 2026 by supporting a suite of state legislation preventing sexual violence across Nebraska, Utah, Tennessee, New York, and Virginia. These bills represent a proactive shift toward systemic prevention by increasing transparency, protecting children, and closing dangerous legal gaps allowing abusers to evade accountability.
AI Sexual Violence Prevention Bills – NE, UT, & TN
The SVPA endorsed three parallel bills for artificial intelligence (AI) safety and child protection in Nebraska (LB1083), Utah (H.B. 286), and Tennessee (HB1898). These bills mandate that AI companies implement safety plans, report incidents of child harm, and protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
These three state bills will require AI chatbots, image generators, and other platforms to create mandatory safety plans that document how they test for and protect against severe risks to children and the general public. This includes protecting against child sexual abuse material (formerly known as child pornography), pedophilia, chatbot sexualization, and other forms of digital sexual violence.
These state bills will also require AI companies to report all incidents in which their platform recklessly or intentionally harmed a child or caused a public safety incident. The AI companies must submit these reports to their states’ Attorneys General, preventing them from covering up harms and helping to identify serious risks.
Lastly, the Nebraska and Utah bills protect whistleblowers who, acting in good faith, warn about risks and active harm caused by AI platforms. Companies are required to create confidential reporting lines, preventing the companies from retaliating against whistleblowers.
Overall, these three state bills provide comprehensive protections protecting children and adults from digital sexual violence.
Rideshare Sexual Violence Prevention – NY
The SVPA endorsed the Promoting Safety and Accountability in Transportation Act in New York (A1651) to prevent sexual violence in rideshare apps, like Uber and Lyft. This bill amends New York’s Penal Law to establish that neither a passenger nor a driver can legally consent to sexual activity during a rideshare trip. By establishing that consent cannot be given in this isolated, professional environment, the bill provides essential legal protections for both passengers and drivers. This prevents coercion, harassment, and other forms of sexual violence that are common in rideshare services.
Restraining Order Expansion Bill – NY
The SVPA endorsed the Ceasing Repeated and Extremely Egregious Predatory (CREEP) Act (A3226A/S3394A) to modernize New York’s stalking laws. Currently, survivors are only allowed to attain a restraining order if they have an evidenced “intimate” or familial relationship with the subject of the order of protection. Thus, people who are not related to, or in a relationship with the person stalking, harassing, or abusing them cannot get a restraining order. This bill will allow all victims– including those targeted by co-workers, neighbors, or strangers – to petition for a restraining order, preventing future harassment, stalking, and sexual violence.
Incarceration-Based Sexual Violence Prevention – VA
The SVPA endorsed the Second Chance Sentencing Modification Bill (HB 853) in Virginia, which would allow incarcerated individuals who have served 15 years or more to petition for a “second look” at their sentencing. Specifically, incarcerated individuals would be able to get their sentence modified based on extenuating circumstances such as being the victim of sexual violence, domestic violence, child abuse, or human trafficking. This bill will also prevent state sanctioned and state tolerated sexual violence by reducing the number of years individuals spend incarcerated.
State Advocacy
The SVPA strongly encourages state advocacy, especially at a time when federal protections, rights, and programs are being attacked. The SVPA State Policy Map and Scores show which states have key legislation for preventing sexual violence. We encourage everyone to use this tool to determine what laws your state is missing and advocate for change.
We are proud to endorse these six state bills from across the country. This legislation targets key industries and institutions to prevent sexual violence systemically.
