On September 15, 2026, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), and Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02) introduced the Survivors Rights Restitution Act. This legislation would establish a federal restitution program for survivors of sexual violence whose rights were violated by the federal government. The bill would include survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell while addressing the financial burden that can occur from sexual violence.
The bill focuses on the economic consequences that survivors can face long after an assault. The estimated lifetime cost of rape at $122,461 per victim, including the expenses of medical care, loss of income, housing instability and mental health support. These expenses can become an additional burden for survivors as they recover from trauma. The proposed restitution program would provide compensation for certain economic and non-economic harms and losses.
Under the legislation, an independent Office of Special Adjudicators for Survivors Restitution would be established within the US Court of Federal Claims. The office would review petitions from survivors and determine awards through what the bill describes as a streamlined, non-adversarial and trauma-informed process. The legislation would also establish a Survivors Rights Restitution Fund within the Department of the Treasury. The funds would be financed through federal forfeiture proceeds connected to trafficking and sexual exploitation offenses, voluntary contributions, and authorized appropriations.
The legislation is also intended to address the gaps in the enforcement of survivors’ existing legal rights. Under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, survivors have certain protections when they report crimes, including the right to receive timely and accurate notice of an accused person’s release. The bill’s sponsors point to the handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s 2008 plea agreement as an example of these rights not being adequately enforced. The sponsors argue that current law does not provide a specific avenue for financial relief when victims’ rights are violated.
Although the bill is closely connected to the Epstein case, its protections would extend to other survivors of sexual violence more broadly. Rape and sexual assault victimizations occur annually, while approximately two out of three sexual assaults go unreported, the legislation argues that when survivors do come forward, there should be a helpful and easy path towards restitution.
Pressley has experience working with survivors of sexual violence and the Epstein investigation. In May 2026, Pressley and House Oversight Committee Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach focused on the Epstein investigation and the long-term economic and emotional harms experienced by survivors.
The legislation has received endorsements from several survivor and women’s rights organizations like World Without Exploitation, me too. International, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and many others.
Financial compensation cannot erase the trauma of sexual violence. However, supporters of the legislation argue that financial restitution can help survivors address some of the costs associated with recovery while providing a mechanism for accountability when the federal government fails to protect their rights.
The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act would create a process for survivors to seek financial restitution when their rights have been violated by the federal government. The bill addresses not only the immediate consequences of sexual violence but also some of the long-term financial burdens survivors can carry. The legislation now faces the congressional process where it will be considered before any potential action is taken.
