LANSING – State Representative Mike Simpson (D-Liberty Township) announced today that the House of Representatives passed the Sexual Assault Victims' Medical Forensic Intervention and Treatment Act with broad bipartisan support. The legislation is aimed at providing better funding for organizations that treat physical and psychological trauma for victims of sexual assault and gather evidence for prosecutions.
"It is critical that sexual assault victims are treated by well-trained professionals who can respond to their medical and emotional needs while also ensuring that evidence is gathered correctly the first time around," Simpson said. "This funding is needed in order to ensure that people who have been assaulted are not revictimized in a health-care setting. By providing a compassionate response and improving prosecutions, we can increase reporting of this tragic crime and keep more criminals off the street."
Simpson explained that funding for the Sexual Assault Nurses Examiners (SANE) program would be established with money raised through an increase in the fines and assessments assigned to both adult and juvenile criminals. The increased fees would go to the state Justice System Fund, which is split between a large number of police and corrections entities. The Sexual Assault Victims' Medical Forensic Intervention and Treatment Fund would receive 2.74 percent of the fund distributions created by the increased fees.
The state's Domestic Violence and Treatment Board will distribute funds to entities that do the following: perform the procedures required by sexual assault evidence kits; provide specialized assistance to victims; operate in partnership with a local sexual assault crisis counselor; comply with the standards and practices of the International Association of Forensic Nurse Examiners or its successor organization; provide access to forensic medical intervention and treatment services 24 hours a day; and provide for forensic medical intervention training and technical assistance for staff members.
"The medical and legal systems must work together to respond effectively to the needs of sexual assault victims, and this plan will improve that response," Simpson said. "Sexual assault victims must receive coordinated emergency care in order to feel comfortable proceeding with prosecution and, more importantly, to proceed with recovering from this trauma."
The SANE legislation has been endorsed by the Michigan State Police, the Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the Michigan Association of Sheriffs. It now moves to the Senate.