Kinkead, Williams fight for survivors of sexual assault
Rally with PCAR to increase budget funding for rape crisis centers
Rep. Emily Kinkead June 6, 2025 | 11:34 AM
HARRISBURG, June 6 – With state budget negotiations underway, state Rep. Emily Kinkead and state Sen. Lindsey Williams rallied Wednesday at the state Capitol with the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect to demand an $8 million increase to annual funding for Pennsylvania’s 47 rape crisis centers provided by the state.
“Despite the sad fact that demand for services is growing, rape crisis centers that help survivors overcome the trauma of sexual violence are continuously asked to do more with less funding,” said Kinkead, D-Allegheny. “Survivors deserve timely, trauma-informed support, and the staff who provide it deserve the resources to do their jobs safely and effectively. When we fail to provide adequate funding for these critical centers, we fail to stand with survivors. Without an increase in the rape crisis line item, these centers will be forced to cut services, staff, or close entirely. That is unacceptable.”
Kinkead said RCCs, which are open 24 hours a day and required by state law to provide free services to survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones, have not received a funding increase through the state budget in five years. RCCs serve more than 27,000 Pennsylvanians annually.
“Sexual violence is a public health crisis, one that our government plays a major role in combatting,” said Williams, D-Allegheny. “That means we need to provide support, treatment, and services for victims of these violent crimes. But the Pennsylvania budget has flat funded rape crisis centers for the last five years. We all know that ‘flat funding’ is just a nice way of saying that we’re cutting your funding. Our rape crisis centers are doing more and more with less money, because while their funding has been stagnant, their expenses have not been. I’m proud to stand with our survivors to advocate for an increase in funding for our rape crisis treatment centers.”
Photos of the rally are available here.