SB 396 - This act establishes the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act and provides that hospitals and health care facilities are required to do the following: • provide each sexual assault victim with medically and factually accurate information about emergency contraception;
• orally inform each victim that emergency contraception may be provided at the hospital;
• provide the complete regimen of emergency contraception immediately to the victim who requests it; and
• follow the Department of Justice protocols on HIV/STI screening and prophylactic treatment.
Hospitals and health care facilities must ensure that they provide their employees with medically and factually accurate information about emergency contraception. The department shall develop, prepare, and produce informational materials relating to emergency contraception to hospitals and health care facilities. The informational materials must be medically and factually accurate, clearly written, and explain the nature of emergency contraception.
The department shall respond to complaints and shall periodically determine whether hospitals and health care facilities are in compliance. If a hospital or a health care facility is not in compliance, then the department shall impose an administrative penalty of $5,000/per woman who is denied information or emergency contraception and a fine of $5,000 for failure to comply with the provisions of this act. For every 30 days that a hospital or health care facility is not in compliance, an additional administrative penalty of $5,000 shall be imposed.
ADRIANE CROUSE