SAFE Payment Laws and Guidelines

EVAWI, in partnership with AEquitas (my org), has published a map of SAFE Payment Laws and Guidelines. As described in the announcement: “Many professionals have questions about the laws in their own state or territory, pertaining to forensic compliance and payment for sexual assault medical forensic exams. Answers can be found in a new document entitled, Summary of Laws & Guidelines: Payment of Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations” (PDF). I think many of you will find this to be a particularly useful resource.

Aside from the summary document, there is the full compilation, which clocks in at more than 200 pages. You can download it here (PDF).

Again, from the announcement:

As summarized in the Summary of Laws and Guidelines:

Statutes, regulations, and guidelines were collected on various elements related to payment for the forensic examination, including:

• *which agency pays
• *the specific criteria for payment
• *what services are included and not included in payment schemes
• *other authorization or eligibility requirements
• *disqualifying factors
• *payment methods
• *whether the states require restitution from a guilty defendant
• *and any evidence retention laws related to [exams]

Additionally, this document and attached charts and compilation were sent out, in draft form, to all jurisdictions represented for review. We received a 100 percent response from all jurisdictions and made appropriate edits. This process revealed that practices vary greatly not only from jurisdiction to jurisdiction but also internally.