Sexual Assault Exam and Rape Kits Potential Funding

Sexual Assault Exam and Rape Kits. Potential Funding October 17, 2017 Lashonde Beasley, Program Manager Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention

Potential Funding Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention ● Edward J. Byrne Justice Memorial Assistance Grant (BJAG) ● Maryland Victims of Crime (MVOC) ● STOP (Services * Training * Officers * Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (VAWA) ● Victims of Crimes Act (VOCA)

Edward J. Byrne Justice Memorial Assistance Grant (BJAG) ● Byrne Justice Assistance Grants support a broad range of state and local criminal justice initiatives critical to Maryland's ultimate goal of safe communities. Funds are intended to reduce existing gaps in service that impact violent crime, crime victims, enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation. ● In general, JAG funds awarded to a State may be used to provide additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems for criminal justice, including for any one or more of the following • Crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

Maryland Victims of Crime (MVOC) ● The Maryland Victims of Crime (MVOC) Fund provides advocacy and support services to victims of crime for the purpose of developing and enhancing existing programs that serve victims of crime in Maryland.

Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (VAWA) ● With respect to the VAWA requirement concerning forensic medical examination payment for victims of sexual assault, a state or territory must certify that: • the state or territory or another governmental entity incurs the full out-of-pocket cost of forensic medical exams for victims of sexual assault; • the state or territory coordinates with health care providers in the region to notify victims of sexual assault of the availability of rape exams at no cost to victims; and, • it will not require a victim of sexual assault to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law enforcement in order to be provided with a forensic medical exam, reimbursement for charges incurred on account of such an exam, or both.

Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (VAWA) Note: ● STOP funds may be used to pay forensic medical exams performed by trained examiners for victims of sexual assault, except that such funds may not be used to pay forensic medical exams if victims of sexual assault are required to seek reimbursement for such exams from their insurance carriers. ● Due to changes in VAWA 2013, states can no longer reimburse victims for the costs of the exams, but must make the exam available free of charge to the victim. This includes any deductibles or copayments for states that require victims to submit the charges to their insurance carriers.

Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (VAWA) Starting with FY 2007, STOP funds may be used for health care providers’ time conducting forensic examinations, if two requirements are met: ● the examinations are performed by specially trained examiners for victims of sexual assault (such as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) or Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs)); and ● the jurisdiction does not require victims of sexual assault to seek reimbursement from their insurance carriers.

Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (VAWA) STOP Program funds may support the following activities related to SANE/SAFE programs even if the requirements for paying personnel costs are not met: ● ● ● ● training for; and expert testimony of SANE/SAFE personnel forensic evidence collection kits ("rape kits") equipment, such as colposcopes, swab dryers, and lights outreach efforts to inform victims about available services victim advocate personnel to on-going counseling services for victims on-call time of the SANE/SAFE personnel

Victims of Crimes Act (VOCA) ● Victims of Crime Act funding allows forensic medical evidence collection examinations to the extent that other funding sources are insufficient. Sub-recipients are also encouraged to use specially trained examiners such as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners to perform these exams.

Potential Funding - Federal National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) (*Information based on FY 17 solicitation) PURPOSE: ● The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), provides funding through a competitive grant program to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions’ approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs).

Potential Funding - Federal National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) (*Information based on FY 17 solicitation) PURPOSE: ● The focus of this solicitation is on those “unsubmitted kits” which are defined as SAKs that have not been submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing with CODIS-eligible DNA methodologies. ● This program is not directed at untested kits that have been submitted to forensic labs for testing with CODIS-eligible DNA methodologies but are delayed for testing for longer than 30 days, e. g. , as a result of a backlog of work in the laboratory. These are separate and distinct issues.

Potential Funding - Federal National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) (*Information based on FY 17 solicitation) ELIGIBILITY : ● Eligible applicants for Purpose Areas 1 and 3 are law enforcement agencies of states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments, prosecutor’s offices, or a governmental nonlaw enforcement agency acting as fiscal agent for one of the previously listed types of eligible applicants. ● Eligible applicants for Purpose Area 2 are limited to Small Law Enforcement Agencies with less than 250 sworn officers OR consortia of small law enforcement agencies.

Potential Funding - Federal Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program (SAFE-ITR) (*Information based on FY 17 solicitation) PURPOSE: ● The goal of NIJ's SAFE-ITR program is to establish and maintain accountability for participants in the criminal justice system as it relates to sexual assaults and sexual assault evidence collection and analysis. Establishing and maintaining accountability for law enforcement and laboratories will help ensure that evidence is promptly submitted to and analyzed by an accredited laboratory.

Potential Funding - Federal Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program (SAFE-ITR) (*Information based on FY 17 solicitation) PURPOSE: ● Once analyzed, sexual assault evidence can provide investigative leads to the law enforcement agency, allowing the perpetrator to be apprehended before more crimes are committed. Funding will be available to defray costs associated with the following tasks: ■ Inventory ■ Tracking ■ Reporting

Potential Funding - Federal Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence - Inventory, Tracking, and Reporting Program (SAFE-ITR) (*Information based on FY 17 solicitation) ELIGIBILITY ● Eligible applicants are States, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments that collect, store, maintain, and/or send forensic DNA evidence to an existing and accredited crime laboratory that complies with the DNA Quality Assurance Standards and participates in the National DNA Index System (NDIS).