MASSACHUSETTS NURSE NEWSLETTER :: September 2006

Romney signs Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner bill

Governor Romney recently signed legislation codifying the nationally-recognized Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program (SANE). The bill’s lead sponsors were Sen. Susan Tucker (D-Andover) and Rep. Peter Koutoujian (D-Waltham), with Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge) acting as the lead Senate proponent during debate.
SANE delivers the coordinated, expert forensic care necessary to increase successful prosecution of sex offenders and to deliver the highest level of care to sexual assault victims.

Codification of the current certification, program administration practices and clinical protocols is necessary to ensure that all SANE operations throughout the commonwealth are conducted in a consistent manner that is of the highest quality. It also ensures that all future changes to the current practices and protocols are thoroughly reviewed by a multi-disciplinary board of experts.