PRINTER'S NO. 1528
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1172
Session of
2022
INTRODUCED BY VOGEL, MARTIN, CAPPELLETTI, YUDICHAK, J. WARD,
MUTH AND LANGERHOLC, MARCH 30, 2022
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, MARCH 30, 2022
AN ACT
Providing for access to treatment for sexual assault survivors
and for duties of the Department of Health.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Sexual
Assault Emergency Services Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"County." A county of any class in this Commonwealth.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Hospital." As defined in section 802.1 of the act of July
19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care Facilities
Act.
"Registered nurse." A registered nurse, clinical nurse
specialist or certified nurse practitioner under the act of May
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22, 1951 (P.L.317, No.69), known as The Professional Nursing
Law.
"SANE program." A program that utilizes a sexual assault
nurse examiner for a forensic medical examination based in this
Commonwealth.
"Sexual assault." Any of the offenses specified in 18
Pa.C.S. Ch. 31 Subch. B (relating to definition of offenses).
"Sexual assault nurse examiner" or "SANE." A registered
nurse who completed additional education and training that meets
the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Education Guidelines
established by the International Association of Forensic Nurses
to provide comprehensive health care to survivors of sexual
assault.
"Sexual assault survivor." An individual who reports that
they have experienced sexual assault.
Section 3. SANE program for access to treatment for sexual
assault survivors.
In addition to the sexual assault emergency services required
under 28 Pa. Code ยง 117.52 (relating to minimum requirements for
sexual assault emergency services), a hospital may establish a
SANE program.
Section 4. Duties of department.
(a) List of SANE capabilities.--
(1) No later than 90 days after the effective date of
this section and updated on an annual basis, the department
shall publish a comprehensive list of each hospital, by
county, that provides SANE care on the department's publicly
accessible Internet website. The list shall include the
location and phone number for each hospital listed and when
applicable, the hospital's publicly accessible Internet
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website.
(2) A hospital shall notify the department of changes to
the hospital's SANE capabilities within seven days of the
change. The department shall update the publicly accessible
Internet website to reflect a change by a hospital within
seven days of receipt from a hospital.
(b) Browsing history.--The department shall develop a
feature on the department's publicly accessible Internet website
that simultaneously deletes the user's Internet browsing history
and redirects the user to the web browser's home page. This
feature shall be a button affixed to the top-right of the web
browser and shall be added to each publicly accessible Internet
website pertaining to information or services for sexual assault
or domestic violence survivors.
(c) Funding.--The department shall make grant funding
available if sufficient funds have been appropriated for the
purpose of establishing and supporting infrastructure to
facilitate the delivery of sexual assault nurse examiner
services.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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