Chicago —(ENEWSPF)—April 10, 2018
By: Rosemary Piser
Today, Attorney General Lisa Madigan applauded the House Human Services Committee for passing House Bill 5245. This legislation will expand the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act to ensure that all survivors of sexual assault are treated in a timely manner by health care professionals who are specially trained to conduct forensic examinations of sexual assault survivors. It also allows sexual abuse survivors under the age of 13 to receive specialized care at an approved pediatric health care facility. House Bill 5245 was sponsored by Representative Michael Unes.
The legislation passed the committee unanimously and will move to the full House.
Attorney General Madigan said, “Survivors of sexual assault need specialized care from trained professionals when they go to the hospital, and this legislation is a step toward ensuring that the physical and emotional needs of survivors are met. I appreciate the committee’s support and encourage the full House to pass this important measure.”
Representative Unes added, “Children who have been victims of sexual abuse and assault deserve the highest quality and most compassionate care that the state of Illinois can provide. This legislation gives a voice to the voiceless and ensures that this most vulnerable population is cared for by the most qualified professionals.”
Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, one of the measure’s House sponsors, said, “The road to recovery for survivors of sexual assault should begin immediately after the attack. It is critical that the medical professionals she first encounters are trained to help survivors start the long journey toward healing and obtaining justice.”
This legislation is supported by a bipartisan group of legislators as well as the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, Illinois State’s Attorneys Association, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, Rape Victim Advocates, Illinois NOW (National Organization of Women), International Association of Forensic Nurses – Illinois Chapter, and the Illinois Emergency Nurses Association. House Bill 5245 has been introduced in the House, and the Attorney General is urging lawmakers to take up the measure when the legislature reconvenes in Springfield next week.
Attorney General Madigan’s Crime Victim Services Division manages programs that provide assistance to crime victims and service providers. For more information about the Crime Victims Services Division or the rights afforded to survivors of crime in Illinois, please visit Madigan’s website or call her office’s toll-free Crime Victims’ Assistance Line: 1-800-228-3368 or 1-877-398-1130 (TTY).
Source: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov