SNAP Applauds PA Senate Judiciary Committee for Siding with Survivors in a Historic Vote!
We want to give a big thank you to the Senate Judiciary Committee for advancing HB951. The bill will now move on to the Appropriations Committee, and then hopefully to a vote on the Senate floor succeeded by concurrence with the General Assembly. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R) spoke during the committee hearing with compassion for child sex abuse victims and cited the years of pain and trauma endured. Similar supportive comments by the Judiciary Chair, Senator Lisa Baker (R), and Senators Steve Santesiero (D) and Art Haywood (D) followed.
Present in the gallery for yesterday’s session were State Representatives Mark Rozzi (D) and Jim Gregory (R), both champions for justice and survivors themselves. SNAP Board Member Shaun Dougherty and SNAP Communications Manager Mike McDonnell, along with Lara Fortney McKeever, who are also all survivors, were on hand to witness this historic vote as well.
Throughout the years of deliberation over a two-year window for childhood sexual assault victims to sue their abusers, survivors themselves provided heart-wrenching testimony about the trauma they have endured, and yesterday they came one step closer to seeking justice in court.
We are ecstatic to finally see significant movement and progress on ‘Window Legislation’ for Pennsylvania. This step has long been overdue. The Senate could advance this bill for a chamber vote as early as April 27th.
CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267.261.0578), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517.974.9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network) has provided support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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