Burke — From her first election to the House of Delegates to preparing to start her eighth year as a Delegate, preventing and combating sexual assault has always been a priority for Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41). The bills she has put forth contain coalitions of stakeholders. On Friday, Dec. 8, one of these longtime partners, the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Action Alliance honored her with their, “Act.

Honor. Hope.” award.

The Alliance has been a longtime advocate of Del. Filler-Corn’s legislation, from her bills that dealt with the reporting of a campus sexual assault investigation to the local commonwealth attorney to creating trauma informed training protocols for campus law enforcement. They were a crucial partner for her bill HB 659 in 2016, which requires any high school family life education curriculum offered by a local school division to incorporate age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention of dating violence, domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. This bill, now a law, laid the groundwork for Del. Filler-Corn’s bill from 2017, HB 2257, which also codifies the teaching of consent in Family Life Education.

“If the first time a student hears about dating violence, healthy relationships or consent is at college orientation, then it is too late,” said Del. Filler-Corn. “This is why I advocated for teaching consent in Family Life Education. I am incredibly grateful for the counsel and efforts of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. Thanks for their support and efforts as well as other advocates, my bill is law today.”

During her remarks at the awards ceremony, Filler-Corn also took the opportunity to tell the crowd about her recently introduced legislation. House Bill 44 would strengthen the legislation Del. Filler-Corn passed last year. It would ensure that every high school that offers Family Life Education will teach about consent in an age appropriate and evidence based manner — not allowing it as just an option.

Filler-Corn has also introduced, House Bill 45, which would require any family life education curriculum offered in any elementary school, middle school, or high school to include instruction on the importance of the personal privacy and boundaries of other individuals. Both bills will be heard during the 2018 General Assembly Session in Richmond.