The SANE Act of 2025 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that every VA hospital and urgent care facility has at least one sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) on staff, or, if a SANE cannot be employed, a health care provider qualified to conduct a sexual assault forensic examination (SAFE). After an examination, VA providers must verbally direct the patient to needed mental health services, either within the VA facility or through a Veterans Care Agreement if wait times exceed 30 days. The bill also requires that these new duties do not reduce existing patient-care responsibilities of VA employees. The definitions of SANE and SAFE rely on the definitions in the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004. In short, the bill aims to standardize forensic examination care for sexual assault within VA facilities, improve immediate mental health referrals, and safeguard existing VA workloads from being diminished by the new responsibilities.
Key Points
- 1At least one sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) must be employed at every VA hospital and urgent care facility; if a SANE cannot be employed, a health care provider qualified to perform SAFE exams may fill the role.
- 2After an examination, VA providers must verbally refer the patient to appropriate mental health services, either within the VA hospital or via a Veterans Care Agreement under 38 U.S.C. 1703A if wait times exceed 30 days.
- 3The bill requires that the new SANE/SAFE duties do not reduce or negatively affect other patient care responsibilities of VA staff.
- 4Definitions for SANE and sexual assault forensic examination align with those in the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004 (34 U.S.C. 40723(a)).
- 5The measure is titled the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in VA Hospitals Act of 2025 (SANE Act of 2025).