Module 5
Medical Forensic Sexual Assault Examinations: What Are They, and What Can They Tell the Courts?

Payment for Medical Forensic Sexual Assault Examinations

Under the 2005 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), as a condition of grant funding, states cannot require a sexual assault victim to participate in the criminal justice system in order to receive a medical forensic sexual assault examination, nor can victims be required to pay for these examinations themselves.1 All sexual assault victims are entitled to receive a medical forensic examination at no cost and regardless of whether they choose to report the assault to law enforcement. It is important to understand that this mandates coverage of the examination and evidence collection but follow-up treatments may not be covered.

Consult your agency’s state-specific supplemental guide for your state’s policies and requirements regarding coverage for forensic costs.

Disclaimers and Footnotes

1. 42 U.S.C. §3796gg-4; 28 C.F.R. §90.14.

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