Kentucky Bill Aims to Increase Statewide Access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners
- Kentucky House Bill 134 aims to address the state's severe shortage of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs).
- The legislation responds to a crisis where 100 of Kentucky's 120 counties lack hospitals with 24/7 SANE coverage.
- Kentucky has both a high level of sexual violence and a gap in access to SANEs for those in need.
Trigger warning: The following article includes mention of sexual assault.
A bill moving through the Kentucky legislature seeks to address the state's critical shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) by creating a statewide coordinator position and registry system. The bill would create a state coordinator for Kentucky who would help more hospitals be able to offer rape kits to victims following an assault.
House Bill 134, sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Raymer (R-Morgantown), passed the House Health Services Committee on January 22, 2026, and now awaits consideration by the full House.
Why This Bill is Necessary
The legislation is in response to alarming findings from a December 2025 Legislative Research Commission report that revealed some sobering stats, along with those from the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, including that:
- 100 of Kentucky's 120 counties lack SANE-ready hospitals (facilities with sexual assault nurse examiners available 24/7)
- Around 39% of Kentucky women experience sexual violence during their lifetime
- About 23% of Kentucky women are raped during their lifetime
- About 18% of men in the state also experience sexual violence
Unfortunately, as is the case with most assaults, these figures represent only reported cases, so the actual number of sexual assaults and rapes is most likely much higher.
Even more concerning, 44 of the counties without SANE-ready hospitals don't even border a county with SANE services, creating vast "care deserts" for sexual assault survivors despite state laws requiring emergency departments to handle sexual assault evidence collection and treatment.
What the Bill Would Accomplish
The bill would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to hire a health professional as the statewide SANE coordinator. This person would be responsible for tasks including:
- Recruiting nurses for SANE training
- Facilitating trainings
- Developing a regional coverage model
- Creating strategic plans for implementation at hospitals across the state
Melissa Gilpin, who has worked as a SANE at Med Center Health in Bowling Green for over 20 years, provided powerful testimony supporting the legislation.
"I have taken care of hundreds of survivors," Gilpin told the committee. "This is more important than you can imagine."
In addition to the coordinator position, HB 134 would establish a public state registry of certified SANEs on the cabinet's website, to be operational by December 1, 2026. The Kentucky Board of Nursing would be required to notify newly certified SANEs about the registry. The bill also promotes enhanced collaboration among hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and rape crisis centers.
Will The Bill Pass?
While the bill has gained momentum, funding remains a question mark. Rep. Raymer has indicated she plans to request an appropriation to ensure adequate funding for the coordinator position, though that provision hasn't yet been added to the bill.
The shortage of SANEs represents a significant barrier to care for sexual assault survivors, who benefit from the specialized training these nurses receive in evidence collection and trauma-informed care. When survivors present at facilities without SANEs, they may face longer waits, potentially compromised evidence collection, or need to travel significant distances to receive appropriate care, all during an already traumatic experience.
If passed, this legislation could significantly improve Kentucky's capacity to provide timely, compassionate, and forensically sound care to sexual assault survivors throughout the state, and set a model for other states with care "deserts." The bill is scheduled for consideration by the full House on January 26, 2026.
For those who have experienced sexual assault, support is available through the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network helpline at 800-656-4673 or online at https://hotline.rainn.org/online.
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