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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>57134</law_id><section_number>19.2-11.5</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-11.01</reference><reference>19.2-368.3</reference><reference>23.1-807.1</reference><reference>32.1-162.15:12</reference><reference>32.1-162.15:2</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1.2">Physical Evidence Recovery Kits and Trace Evidence Collection Kits</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Anonymous <span class="dictionary">physical evidence recovery kit</span></span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">physical evidence recovery kit</span> that is collected from a <span class="dictionary">victim of sexual assault</span> through a forensic medical examination where the victim elects, at the time of the examination, not to report the <span class="dictionary">sexual assault offense</span> to a <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Anonymous <span class="dictionary">trace evidence collection kit</span></span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">trace evidence collection kit</span> that is collected from a <span class="dictionary">victim of strangulation</span> through a forensic medical examination where the victim elects, at the time of the examination, not to report the strangulation to a <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Department</span>&#x201D; means the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Forensic Science.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Division</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Division</span> of Consolidated Laboratory Services of the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of General Services.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Health care provider</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">health care provider</span> as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/8.01-581.1/">8.01-581.1</a> that provides forensic medical examinations to victims of sexual assault.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">Law</span>-enforcement agency</span>&#x201D; means the state or local <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency</span> with the primary responsibility for investigating an alleged <span class="dictionary">sexual assault offense</span> case and includes the employees of that agency.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Physical evidence recovery kit</span>&#x201D; means any evidence collection kit supplied by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> to <span class="dictionary">health care providers</span> for use in collecting evidence from victims of sexual assault during forensic medical examinations or to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for use during death investigations to collect evidence from decedents who may be victims of sexual assault.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Sexual assault forensic examiner</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">health care provider</span> who has completed the education and training recommended by the Virginia Forensic Nursing Advisory Council, approved by the Board of Health pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Virginia Forensic Nursing Advisory Council" href="/32.1-162.15_12/">32.1-162.15:12</a>, to conduct examinations using a <span class="dictionary">physical evidence recovery kit</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Sexual assault offense</span>&#x201D; means a violation or attempted violation of any offense enumerated in Article 7 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Rape" href="/18.2-61/">18.2-61</a> et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2 or of any offense specified in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Crimes against nature; penalty" href="/18.2-361/">18.2-361</a>, <a class="law" title="Taking indecent liberties with children; penalties" href="/18.2-370/">18.2-370</a>, or <a class="law" title="Taking indecent liberties with child by person in custodial or supervisory relationship; penalties" href="/18.2-370.1/">18.2-370.1</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Telehealth sexual assault forensic examination</span>&#x201D; means an in-person forensic medical examination by a <span class="dictionary">health care provider</span> in consultation with and under the supervision of a <span class="dictionary">sexual assault forensic examiner</span> using telehealth services as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Statewide Telehealth Plan" href="/32.1-122.03_1/">32.1-122.03:1</a> to collect evidence using a <span class="dictionary">physical evidence recovery kit</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Trace evidence collection kit</span>&#x201D; means any evidence collection kit supplied by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> to <span class="dictionary">health care providers</span> for use in collecting evidence from victims of strangulation during forensic medical examinations or to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for use during death investigations to collect evidence from decedents who may be victims of strangulation.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Victim of sexual assault</span>&#x201D; means any person who undergoes a forensic medical examination for the collection of a <span class="dictionary">physical evidence recovery kit</span> connected to a <span class="dictionary">sexual assault offense</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Victim of strangulation</span>&#x201D; means any person who undergoes a forensic medical examination for the collection of evidence in connection with an alleged strangulation.</p></section></text><history>2016, cc. 332, 698; 2023, cc. 312, 312; 2025, cc. 529, 538.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
