SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 13
(By Senator Jenkins)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance direct the
Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources
Accountability to study the potential benefits of sexual
assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs.
Whereas, Sexual assault is a prevalent crime that has a
devastating long-term impact on all victims. In the United States,
one in three women and one in seven men have been victims of sexual
assault and one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually
victimized before reaching age 18; and
Whereas, Of the approximately 750,000 adult women living in
West Virginia, approximately 85,000 have been sexually assaulted at
least once during their lives; and
Whereas, Formal training of registered nurses to become sexual
assault nurse examiners (SANE) is essential for conducting the
forensic examination of the victim of a sexual assault; and
Whereas, Currently there are approximately 159 registered
nurses trained as SANEs in 38 of the 69 licensed medical facilities
in the State of West Virginia; and
Whereas, A SANE program may be tailored to the needs of any
locality or region to provide a victim-sensitive solution to
systemic gaps in response to sexual assault victims; and
Whereas, The Regional Mobile SANE Project proved extremely
successful its first year of operation in the northern part of the
state. The project allowed four hospitals to share trained nurses
and resulted in 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week coverage for all
four hospitals; and
Whereas, The West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and
Services, the Marshall University Forensic Science Center and the
West Virginia State Police Crime Laboratory together have provided
classroom-based SANE training to registered nurses in the State of
West Virginia since 2001 and are interested in developing and
utilizing distance education modalities in the future; therefore,
be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to direct the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health
and Human Resources Accountability to study the potential benefits
of sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislative Oversight Commission on
Health and Human Resources Accountability determine the benefits to
each licensed medical facility in West Virginia of participating in
a regional alliance of facilities sharing a pool of fully trained
SANE nurses; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislative Oversight Commission on
Health and Human Resources Accountability assess prosecution of cases involving forensic evidence collected by SANEs to determine
whether more licensed health care facilities should participate;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Legislative Oversight Commission on
Health and Human Resources Accountability explore the possibility
of using distance education modalities associated with institutions
of higher education to promote future SANE training in the State of
West Virginia; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and
Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2009, on
its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts
of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be
paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance.