In 2007, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law requiring all counties to have a SART or participate in a regional SART—a measure that’s imperative to adequately addressing, and ultimately ending, sexual assault in our state.
Indiana Code relating to SART IC 16-21-8-1.5
Appointment of a sexual assault response team Sec. 1.5. If a sexual assault response team has not been established in a county, the prosecuting attorney shall appoint a sexual assault response team in that county, or the county shall join with one (1) or more other counties to create a regional team, to comply with duties assigned to sexual assault response teams under this chapter. As added by P.L.41-2007, SEC.14. IC 16-21-8-2 County or regional sexual response team; duties Sec. 2.
(a) Each county or regional sexual assault response team shall develop a plan that establishes the protocol for sexual assault victim response and treatment, including the:
(1) collection; (2) preservation; (3) secured storage; and (4) destruction; of samples.
(b) The plan under subsection (a) shall address the following regarding an alleged sexual assault victim who is at least eighteen (18) years of age and who either reports a sexual assault or elects not to report a sexual assault to law enforcement:
(1) The method of maintaining the confidentiality of the alleged sexual assault victim regarding the chain of custody and secured storage of a sample.
(2) The development of a victim notification form that notifies an alleged sexual assault victim of his or her rights under the law.
(3) How a victim will receive the victim notification form.
(4) Identification of law enforcement agencies that will be responsible to transport samples.
(5) Agreements between medical providers and law enforcement agencies to pick up and store samples.
(6) Maintaining samples in secured storage.
(7) Procedures to destroy a sample following applicable statute of limitations. As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.121-2006, SEC.24; P.L.41-2007, SEC.15
