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SSB 3197

A bill for an act establishing a grant program for a nonprofit organization providing sexual assault forensic examination centers.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Establishes a state-funded grant program to support nonprofit sexual assault forensic examination centers, improving access to timely, evidence-based exams and victim services.

Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 2502.
#felonies #grants #nonprofitentities #sexualabuse #victims #attorneygeneral
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Bill Summary · SSB 3197

Summary of Bill: SSB 3197 (Iowa, 2025-2026)

Purpose and Intent

SSB 3197 establishes a state grant program to support nonprofit organizations that provide sexual assault forensic examination centers. The bill aims to enhance access to forensic exams for victims of sexual assault by funding community-based centers, thereby improving timely, compassionate, and legally admissible evidence collection and support services.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Creation of a Grant Program: Establishes a state-funded grant program specifically for nonprofit organizations operating sexual assault forensic examination (SAFE) centers.
  • Administration and Oversight: The bill designates an administering state agency (likely within appropriations or a health/justice-related department) to oversee the grant process, including application, award decisions, monitoring, and reporting requirements.
  • Eligible Recipients: Nonprofit organizations that operate SAFEs or that run centers delivering sexual assault forensic examinations, related medical care, and forensic evidence collection services, would be eligible to apply for grants.
  • Funding Determination: Grants would be awarded based on criteria set by the administering agency, potentially including factors such as:
    • demonstrated need and service gaps in the region
    • ability to provide services 24/7 or with rapid response
    • capacity for rape kit collection, processing, and linkage to prosecution
    • coordination with law enforcement, sexual assault response teams, medical personnel, and victim advocates
    • cost-effectiveness and sustainability
  • Use of Funds: Grant funds could be used to support operating expenses of SAFEs, including staffing (nurses, sexual assault nurse examiners), medical supplies, facility costs, training, and victim advocacy services; provisions may specify allowed vs. unallowable expenditures.
  • Performance and Reporting: Grant recipients would likely be required to submit periodic reports detailing service delivery metrics, expenditures, outcomes (e.g., number of exams performed, assistive services provided, victim support metrics), and compliance with statutory or program rules.
  • Timeline and Duration: The bill would establish a program start date and grant cycles, including application windows, award durations (e.g., one-to-three years), and potential renewal or sunset provisions.
  • Relation to Other Programs: The bill may coordinate with existing state health, justice, or victim services funding streams and leverage multidisciplinary responses to sexual violence.
  • No Establishment of New Courts or Criminal Procedures: The bill focuses on funding and operating SAFEs, not criminal procedure changes.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Nonprofit SAFEs/SAFE Centers: Primary beneficiaries through grant funding to support operations and service delivery.
  • Sexual Assault Victims/Patients: Indirect beneficiaries via improved access to timely, high-quality forensic examinations and associated support services.
  • Law Enforcement and Prosecutors: Potentially improved collaboration and evidence collection processes; better-quality forensic evidence and reporting.
  • Administrative/Health and Justice Agencies: Responsible for administering the grant program, monitoring compliance, and reporting outcomes.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduced and Referred: 2026-04-30, to Appropriations Committee.
  • Subcommittee Assignments: Listed as a broad slate of members, indicating a multidisciplinary review path (Appropriations and related committees may assess funding, program impact, and fiscal implications).
  • Potential Next Steps: Passage by the Legislature and signing by the governor would authorize the appropriation of funds and the establishment of grant rules, application processes, and oversight mechanisms. The exact fiscal year start and grant cycle dates would be defined in the implementing administrative rules and the final bill text.

Notes

  • The bill’s emphasis is on funding capacity and access rather than policy changes to sexual assault investigations or statute changes.
  • Specific dollar amounts, match requirements, or cap limits for individual grants are not provided in the summary text available; such details would appear in the final bill provisions or the appropriations act accompanying the bill if enacted.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to include a comparison with existing SAFEs programs in Iowa or provide a glossary of terms (e.g., SAFEs, SANE) for lay readers.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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