Forensic medical examination--Hospitals--Policies and procedures

A hospital licensed in accordance with chapter 34-12 , except a specialized hospital, shall establish and maintain policies and procedures regarding the administration of forensic medical examinations. The policies and procedures must: (1) State whether the hospital provides forensic medical examinations on-site; (2) If the hospital does not provide examinations on-site, or if a provider is not available, address timely transfers and referrals to another hospital or clinic that provides examinations, in order to best preserve the integrity of forensic evidence; (3) If the hospital provides examinations on-site, address how the hospital coordinates with law enforcement agencies for the processing, storage, and maintenance of the chain of custody of evidence; (4) Address how the hospital coordinates with the sexual assault response team that provides services to the county in which the hospital is located, if applicable; and (5) Address how the hospital provides information, to a patient requesting an examination, on the availability of and resources from victim advocates. Source: SL 2026, ch 105 , § 7. Effective July 1, 2026