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:
- The method of maintaining the confidentiality of the alleged sexual assault victim regarding the chain of custody and secured storage of a sample.
- The development of a victim notification form that notifies an alleged sexual assault victim of his or her rights under the law.
- How a victim will receive the victim notification form.
- Identification of law enforcement agencies that will be responsible to transport samples.
- Agreements between medical providers and law enforcement agencies to pick up and store samples.
- Maintaining samples in secured storage.
- 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
