(1) The Kentucky Board of Nursing shall promulgate administrative regulations pursuant to KRS Chapter 13A to create a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program. These administrative regulations shall address, at a minimum:
- (a) Educational requirements for sexual assault nurse examiners and statewide standards for provision of the education;
- (b) The application process through which registered nurses who submit documentation of required education and clinical experience and who remit the designated application fee may apply to the board to be credentialed as a "Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner";
- (c) Continuing education requirements for maintenance of the sexual assault nurse examiner credential;
- (d) Methods of monitoring overall program implementation; and
- (e) Procedures for obtaining input from the Sexual Assault Response Team Advisory Committee established under KRS Chapter 403 prior to proposing amendments to any provision of the administrative regulations promulgated under this section or KRS 314.131.
- (2) Any person in this state who holds a credential as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner as defined in KRS 314.011(14) shall have the right to use the title "Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner" and the abbreviation "SANE". No other person shall assume the title or use the abbreviation or any other words, letters, signs, or figures to indicate that the person using the same is a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.
- (3) The board shall employ a health professional as a statewide sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) coordinator to support the logistical operations of the SANE Program and individual SANEs credentialed under this section.
- (4) The board shall establish a description, essential duties, and responsibilities of the
- (d) Identifying and recruiting potential SANEs across the state; SANE coordinator position that shall include but not be limited to:
- (a)
- (b) Organizing and facilitating comprehensive SANE training programs;
- (c) Establishing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders such as hospitals, law enforcement agencies, rape crisis advocates, and others; and Increasing SANE Program collaboration by creating opportunities for networking and building rapport among SANE training programs.
- (5) The board shall collaborate with the Kentucky Hospital Association, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the Sexual Assault Response Team Advisory Committee, and any other entities deemed appropriate by the board, to develop a statewide strategic plan that utilizes a regional model to ensure SANE coverage for all Kentucky hospitals. The strategic plan shall be submitted to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services by December 1, 2026.
- (6) The board shall develop a state registry of SANEs and make it accessible from the board's website by registered SANEs and Kentucky hospitals. The registry shall be operational by December 1, 2026.
- (7) The board shall notify each newly registered SANE that the state registry of SANEs is available on the board's website as required in subsection (6) of this section.
Effective: July 15, 2026
History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 66, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2026. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 20, sec. 3, effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 14, sec. 50, effective July 14, 2000. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 426, sec. 547, effective July 15, 1998; and ch. 427, sec. 13, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1997 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 1, sec. 145, effective May 30, 1997. -- Created 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 260, sec. 2, effective July 15, 1996.