1996
Federal Victim’s Rights Constitutional Amendments are
introduced in both houses of Congress with bi-partisan support.
Eight states, including Virginia, ratify the passage of
constitutional amendments for victims’ rights---raising the number of states with amendments to 29.
The Community Notification Act, known as "Megan’s
Law," provides for notifying
communities of the location of convicted sex offenders by amendment to the national Child Abuse Registry legislation.
The Church Arson Prevention Act is signed into law in July.
The Drug-Induced Rape Act is enacted to address the emerging
use of sedating drugs by rapists on victims.
The Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) within the
U. S. Department of Justice issues the Juvenile Justice
Action Plan that includes recommendations for victims’ rights and
services for victims of juvenile offenders within the juvenile justice system.
