Texas is a leader among states on the issue of sexual assault, and has promoted and funded
the study of sexual violence as well as created the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Task Force
(SASTF) through the Office of the Texas Governor (OOG). Sexual assault is clearly
established as a public health problem affecting 6.3 million women and men in the state, or
33.2% of adult Texans over their lifetime.1 This statistic comes from thorough research by
the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at The University of Texas at
Austin on the prevalence and impact of sexual assault on Texans, service providers, and the
social and economic system at large.
The bipartisan passage of HB 1590 (86R)
B
signifies a continued commitment by Texas
lawmakers to serve sexual assault survivors. Lawmakers and Texans alike acknowledge the
seriousness of sexual assault crimes. With the research findings derived from this project,
survivors and their families, professionals supporting survivors, and lawmakers can better
see the landscape of resources, service provision gaps, and unmet needs across our state.
The specific project aims were to:
• Inventory the sexual assault services available in Texas.
• Assess sexual assault survivors’ needs by region for the 11 Texas regions.
• Develop a sexual assault services resource inventory.
IDVSA accomplished those aims by:
• Developing and implementing a statewide survey to a broad and diverse set of
providers who serve survivors of sexual violence.
• Conducting a collaborative analysis of the survey findings with a specific focus on
service availability and service gaps, and presenting those in this report to the OOG.
• Developing an HB 1590 Inventory List of the resources available to survivors across
the state and delivering it to the OOG to inform the creation of a comprehensive
statewide service directory in the futureInstitute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA
