U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) on Feb. 15 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would help address the nationwide shortage of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) and improve care for survivors of sexual violence.
“The nationwide shortage of certified sexual assault nurse examiners is nothing short of a crisis,” said Rep. Joyce, co-chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus.
Rep. Joyce introduced the Supporting Access to Nurse Exams (SANE) Act, H.R. 6735, with original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) to amend the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004 to increase access to SANEs, who are registered nurses who have completed additional education and training to provide comprehensive medical and emotional care, as well as legal support, to survivors of sexual assault.
“As a former prosecutor, I know how traumatic it can be for survivors of sexual violence to report their assault to medical professionals and law enforcement,” Rep. Joyce said. “It is unacceptable for survivors to face delay or difficulty in receiving an exam from a nurse who is trained to detect, treat and document injuries caused by an assault.”
If enacted, H.R. 6735 also would establish qualified regional SANE training programs; provide full and part-time salaries for SANEs, including pediatric SANEs; and provide training, education or technical assistance related to the collection, preservation, analysis, and use of DNA samples and DNA evidence collected by SANEs, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Joyce’s office.
Additionally, H.R. 6735 would require the U.S. Attorney General to prioritize grants requested by qualified entities that would increase the local and regional availability of full and part-time SANEs in rural and tribal areas, as well as in areas where there is a health professional shortage or an underserved population, the summary says.
H.R. 6735 received endorsements from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the American Nurses Association, the International Association of Forensic Nurses, and the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence.
“We urge Congress to act swiftly on our bipartisan legislation so that we can increase access to SANE-certified nurses in communities across the country and better care for survivors of sexual violence,” said Rep. Joyce.