SASCA

Survivors' Access to Supportive Care Act or SASCA

This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for state surveys concerning health care provider access for sexual assault forensic examination services.

HHS must establish a continuing and clinical education pilot program for medical examiners of survivors of sexual assault.

HHS must establish a SASCA Task Force to: (1) review data concerning those examiners; and (2) assist and standardize state-level efforts in improving medical forensic evidence collection relating to sexual assault.

Each institution of higher education that receives federal funds must publish its plan for ensuring access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations and treatments. Those institutions must also, to the extent practicable, ensure that students have access to such examinations.

The bill amends the Public Health Service Act by requiring HHS to establish: (1) a demonstration grant program for equipping new providers with the clinical training necessary to establish and maintain competency in sexual assault forensic examiner and sexual assault nurse examiner services; and (2) a center that provides technical assistance to states and health care providers for increasing the quality of, and access to, sexual assault examinations.

HHS must convene state and hospital regional learning collectives to assist health care providers and states in sharing best practices, discussing practices, and improving the quality of, and access to, sexual assault examinations.