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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 15-1844

NOTICES

Reporting Requirements under the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act

[45 Pa.B. 6247]
[Saturday, October 17, 2015]

 On July 10, 2015, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 27 (P. L. 142, No. 27) which amended the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act (35 P. S. §§ 10172.1—10172.5) (act). Under section 3(c)(1) and (3) of the act, local law enforcement agencies have responsibility to take possession of the sexual assault evidence collected by health care facilities for sexual assaults reported to have occurred in the agency's jurisdiction and, upon receipt of consent from the victim, to submit the evidence awaiting testing to a laboratory approved by the Department of Health (Department) for testing or analysis.

 The act requires local law enforcement agencies and testing laboratories to submit certain reports to the Department, in a form and manner prescribed by the Department, regarding the status of laboratory testing of sexual assault evidence. The act requires initial reporting by local law enforcement agencies of sexual assault evidence awaiting testing and by laboratories of sexual assault evidence submitted for testing but not yet analyzed by the laboratory, collectively referred to as ''inventory.'' See section 3(d) of the act. Section 3(e) of the act requires annual reporting by both entities of sexual assault evidence that is awaiting testing for 12 months or more, or ''backlogged evidence.''

 This notice provides the form and manner for local law enforcement agencies and testing laboratories to submit the required reports regarding inventory and backlogged evidence to the Department, and the applicable time frames for reporting.

Availability of Forms for the Submission of Reports

 Standardized forms for both the initial reporting of inventory awaiting testing or not yet analyzed and annual reporting of backlogged evidence will be available on the Bureau of Laboratories' web site at www.health.pa.gov/labs. Local law enforcement agencies and testing laboratories also may contact the Bureau of Laboratories for a hard copy of either form.

Applicable Dates for Preparation and Submission of Initial Reports

 Initial reports by local law enforcement agencies and approved laboratories must include inventory awaiting testing or analysis as of September 7, 2015. Initial reports must be submitted to the Department by Monday, March 7, 2016. If no inventory exists, local law enforcement agencies and laboratories are required to report that information to the Department by March 7, 2016.

Applicable Dates for Preparation and Submission of Annual Reports

 Reports of backlogged evidence must be submitted to the Department annually by January 31. If no backlogged evidence exists, local law enforcement agencies and laboratories are required to annually report that information to the Department by January 31.

Department Contact Person

 Local law enforcement agencies and laboratories shall submit the required information to the Department's Bureau of Laboratories by mail or e-mail (scanned PDF copies) to James R. Lute, PhD, Assistant Bureau Director, Department of Health, Bureau of Laboratories, 110 Pickering Way, Exton, PA 19341-1310, jlute@pa.gov.

 Questions may also be addressed to James Lute, PhD, by mail, e-mail or by telephone at (610) 280-3464.

 Persons with a disability who require an alternate format of this notice (for example, large print, audiotape, Braille) should contact James Lute, PhD, Department of Health, Bureau of Laboratories, 110 Pickering Way, Exton, PA 19341-1310, (610) 280-3464. Speech or hearing impaired persons may call by using V/TT (717) 783-6154 or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TT).

KAREN M. MURPHY, PhD, RN, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 15-1844. Filed for public inspection October 16, 2015, 9:00 a.m.]


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