A new bill at the Arkansas Legislature would help address consent and date rape in Arkansas code.
H.B. 1141 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R – Elm Springs) and Sen. Clint Penzo (R – Springdale) clarifies the definitions for “consent” and “forcible compulsion” in Arkansas’ laws regarding sexual offenses.
It also amends Arkansas code concerning sexual assault of a person who is incapacitated by drugs or alcohol to make it clear that it does not matter if the person consumed the drugs or alcohol willingly.
In practice, this will help clarify Arkansas’ laws concerning date rape.
H.B. 1141 also amends Arkansas’ laws concerning child molestation, sexual assault, and incest to say that perpetrators can be prosecuted regardless of whether or not their victims consented to the sexual conduct. This will help keep certain sexual predators from evading prosecution.
This is an issue that Family Council has worked on for many years. In 2001 we supported passage of Act 1534 that made it illegal to manufacture or possess gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a designer drug linked to date rape.
Legislation like H.B. 1141 helps further strengthen Arkansas’ laws to stop sexual predators who target their victims with drugs or alcohol.
