I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3415 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure appropriate 
care for victims of sexual assault, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 26, 2017 
Mr. POE of Texas (for himself and Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure 
appropriate care for victims of sexual assault, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Megan Rondini Act’’. 
SEC. 2. HOSPITAL CARE FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part E of title XVIII of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 1899C. EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT FOR VICTIMS 
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) TREATMENT.—In the case of a hospital or 
critical access hospital that has an emergency de-
partment and with respect to visits to such depart-
ment on or after January 1, 2019, if any individual 
(whether or not eligible for benefits under this title) 
comes to the emergency department for treatment 
relating to sexual assault, such hospital or critical 
access hospital shall, if the hospital or critical access 
hospital is not designated under subsection (b) as a 
SAFE-ready facility— 
‘‘(A) inform the individual that the hos-
pital is not a SAFE-ready facility; 
‘‘(B) provide the name and location of the 
closest SAFE-ready facility to the hospital; 
‘‘(C) inform the individual that the indi-
vidual may elect— 
‘‘(i) to receive treatment at the hos-
pital; or 
‘‘(ii) to be stabilized and transferred 
to the facility described in subparagraph 
(B); and 
‘‘(D) in the case that the individual elects 
to be transferred under subparagraph (C)(ii)— 
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‘‘(i) obtain the individual’s written 
consent for the transfer; 
‘‘(ii) contact the facility described in 
subparagraph (B) to confirm that a sexual 
assault forensic examiner or a telemedicine 
system 
(as 
described 
in 
subsection 
(b)(1)(B)) is available at the facility; and 
‘‘(iii) stabilize and transfer the indi-
vidual to such facility. 
‘‘(2) STAFF TRAINING.—Not later than Janu-
ary 1, 2019, a hospital or critical access hospital de-
scribed in paragraph (1) shall develop and imple-
ment a plan to train relevant personnel on sexual as-
sault forensic evidence collection. 
‘‘(b) SAFE-READY DESIGNATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall des-
ignate a hospital or critical access hospital as a 
SAFE-ready facility if the hospital or critical access 
hospital— 
‘‘(A) employs or contracts with a sexual 
assault forensic examiner; or 
‘‘(B) uses a telemedicine system of sexual 
assault forensic examiners to provide consulta-
tion to a registered professional nurse or physi-
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cian when conducting a sexual assault forensic 
medical examination. 
‘‘(2) PUBLICATION
OF
DATA.—The Secretary 
shall publish on the public website of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services a list of each 
hospital or critical access hospital designated as a 
SAFE-ready facility under this subsection, including 
the address of such hospital or critical access hos-
pital. The Secretary shall update such list annually. 
‘‘(c) PENALTIES.—A hospital or critical access hos-
pital that recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally violates 
a requirement of this section is subject to a civil money 
penalty of not more than $50,000 (or not more than 
$25,000 in the case of a hospital with less than 100 beds) 
for each such violation. The provisions of section 1128A 
(other than subsections (a) and (b)) shall apply to a civil 
money penalty under this subparagraph in the same man-
ner as such provisions apply with respect to a penalty or 
proceeding under section 1128A(a). 
‘‘(d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘sexual 
assault forensic examiner’ means— 
‘‘(1) a certified sexual assault nurse examiner; 
or 
‘‘(2) a physician with specialized training on 
conducting a forensic medical examination.’’. 
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