Maryland service members will now have more options and expertise available when reporting sexual assault, child abuse and other serious crimes.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order last week taking those crimes out of the chain of command, meaning service members will not be compelled to report those crimes to their commanders first. Rather, they can go to local law enforcement or to nonprofit organizations for help.

“It will give people the ability to know that when they report sexual assault or sexual harassment, that someone who knows about these issues is going to be the person who is talking to them gathering the evidence and prosecuting the case,” said Lisae Jordan the executive director of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

The new guidance stems from the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the military to restructure how it deals with sexual assault.

In 2022, there were an estimated 36,000 sexual assaults in the military. That’s an increase of 13% since 2019. It’s important to note that only a minority of assaults are reported.

The military has its own justice system called the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Previously, sexual assault in the military was prosecuted in that system. However, former military prosecutors, researchers and others have found that assault reports often fall through the cracks and that service members are less willing to report to their boss about the crimes as is expected in the chain of command.

Maryland has a long history of military service. The state is home to multiple facilities like Ft. Meade, Aberdeen Proving Grounds and Walter Reed Hospital. Maryland is also home to the U.S. Naval Academy.