(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is proposing that the Pentagon provide quarterly reports to congress about sexual assaults and prevention efforts in all branches of the military. The requirement is included in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act that cleared a U.S. Senate committee this month.

“We have seen progress, especially in the Department of the Army,” Ernst said, “but we are going to continue and make sure we get the reports back so we can understand the legislation that I’ve worked on in previous NDAAs, to make sure that it continues to work and is doing what we want it to.”

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Red Oak, Iowa) speaking during a Senate hearing earlier this year. (Photo provided by Ernst Senate staff)

Ernst released an autobiography five years ago and wrote about being a survivor of sexual assault in college and domestic violence in her marriage. Ernst, who served in the Iowa National Guard for 23 years, has pressed the military to address cases of sexual assault within its ranks. “What we want to see is increased reporting, meaning that those that have been assaulted have confidence in their chain of command,” Ernst said, “knowing that there will be repercussions.”

The quarterly report Ernst proposes would require the military to provide congress with a tally of all reported sexual assault cases, how many were still being investigated and the outcomes of the rest. A Pentagon report released last year indicated that for the first time in 10 years, there had been a decline in reported cases of sexual assault among active duty soldiers. Still, 6.8% of active duty female soldiers and 1.3% of male soldiers said they’d been subjected to unwanted sexual contact between 2021 and 2023.