Lois Frankel

05/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/19/2026 08:20

Protections for Epstein Survivors and Crime Victims Advance in House Appropriations Bill

Protections for Epstein Survivors and Crime Victims Advance in House Appropriations Bill

Rep. Frankel joined Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee to advance two key provisions in the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill to protect survivors of Epstein sexual abuse and strengthen victims' rights in the justice system. This follows the recent House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Democrats' field hearing on the Epstein case held in Palm Beach County. Rep. Frankel will be available for interviews from 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, May 19, to discuss her work to secure these critical protections for survivors. Interested press should contact Elle Walters (904-624-2523) for the specific location.

With bipartisan support, the House Appropriations Committee advanced provisions to:
  • Require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to remove and prohibit the public release of personally identifying information of Epstein survivors on DOJ websites and in public materials.
  • Direct the DOJ Inspector General to review DOJ compliance with the Crime Victims' Rights Act (CVRA) and examine reforms needed to ensure all survivors are guaranteed their rights under the law, including timely notification of plea agreements before they are finalized - addressing the very loophole exploited in Epstein's secret 2008 non-prosecution agreement.
At the recent House Oversight and Government Reform Democratic field hearing in Palm Beach County, survivors recounted how prosecutors failed to notify them of Epstein's secret non-prosecution agreement, shutting survivors out of the justice process. Survivors were recently retraumatized by the Trump DOJ publicly releasing their personal information.
"Epstein prosecutors denied survivors justice while protecting the powerful and well-connected, and now the Trump DOJ has exposed survivors' private information to the public - retraumatizing the very people the justice system is supposed to protect," said Congresswoman Lois Frankel, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
"These bipartisan provisions will help protect survivors' dignity and privacy while strengthening the rights of crime victims to be informed, heard, and treated fairly under the law."
The FY27 CJS funding bill awaits consideration by the full House and the Senate. As it moves forward, Rep. Frankel will continue to push for the inclusion of these two provisions.
Lois Frankel published this content on May 18, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 19, 2026 at 14:20 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]