The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard SB 146 on sexual assault victims’ rights sponsored by Reps. Schaibley and DeVon. The bill provides rights to sexual assault victims, including the right to speak with a sexual assault counselor before a forensic medical exam or during the course of an investigation, the collection of sexual assault forensic evidence, the analysis of the sexual assault forensic evidence, and notice.
The bill was amended by consent to remove any reference to a right to a sexual assault counselor, so that it would not have a fiscal impact. Several sexual assault victims, Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking, Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, Indiana State Nurses Association, Sexual Assault Nurse and Examiners, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, and the Public Defender Council testified in support of the bill.
The amended bill passed 11-0.
Read the bill at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/senate/146