Pennsylvania Act 2023-59 — SEXUAL ASSAULT EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT - ENACTMENT

Act text

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 registered nurse practitioner under the act of May 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 most recent edition of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Education Guidelines established by the International Association of Forensic Nurses in effect on the effective date of this section 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 § 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 180 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 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.