Florida Statutes 154.012 – Sexual assault response teams; membership; duties
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(1) The health department in every county in this state, or its designee, shall participate in the sexual assault response team coordinated by the certified rape crisis center serving the county or region, if such sexual assault response team exists. If a sexual assault response team does not exist in the county, the certified rape crisis center serving the county may coordinate with community partners to establish a county-specific or regional sexual assault response team.
(2) Each sexual assault response team shall:
(a) Meet at least quarterly to ensure a coordinated multidisciplinary response to sexual assault.
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 154.012
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
(b) Develop written protocols to govern the team’s response to sexual assault which must include all of the following:
1. Roles and responsibilities of each team member.
2. Procedures following the report of a sexual assault, including:
a. Law enforcement and immediate crisis response.
b. Health care treatment for a sexual assault victim.
c. Followup services provided to a sexual assault victim.
3. Procedures for the preservation, secure storage, and destruction of evidence from a sexual assault evidence kit, including length of storage, site of storage, and chain of custody.
4. Procedures for maintaining the confidentiality of a sexual assault victim during a forensic medical examination.
(c) Promote and support the use of qualified sexual assault forensic examiners who have successfully completed a minimum of 40 hours of specialized training in the provision of trauma-informed medical care and in the collection of evidence in sexual assault cases.
(3)(a) The certified rape crisis center serving the county in which the sexual assault response team is established, in collaboration with community partners, shall determine the membership of each sexual assault response team. At a minimum, membership must include the following persons or their designees:
1. The director of the certified rape crisis center.
2. A representative from the county health department.
3. The state attorney.
4. The chief of a police department located in the county.
5. The county sheriff.
6. A forensic sexual assault nurse examiner.
7. A representative from a hospital emergency department located in the county or region.
(b) If the sexual assault response team serves more than one county, its membership must include persons listed in paragraph (a) from each county.
(4) The Florida Council Against Sexual Violence shall provide technical assistance relating to the development and implementation of the sexual assault response teams.