                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

(EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2022) COORDINATION OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESPONSE TO
SEXUAL ASSAULT (§ 15.2-1627.4)

A. The attorney for the Commonwealth in each political subdivision in the
Commonwealth shall coordinate the establishment of a multidisciplinary response
to criminal sexual assault as set forth in Article 7 (&#xA7; 18.2-61 et seq.) of
Chapter 4 of Title 18.2, and hold a meeting, at least annually, to (i) discuss
implementation of protocols and policies for sexual assault response teams
consistent with those established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services
pursuant to subdivision 37 d of &#xA7; 9.1-102 and (ii) establish and review
guidelines for the community&#8217;s response, including the collection,
preservation, and secure storage of evidence from Physical Evidence Recovery Kit
examinations consistent with &#xA7; 19.2-165.1.

B. The following persons or their designees shall be invited to participate in
the annual meeting: the attorney for the Commonwealth; the sheriff; the director
of the local sexual assault crisis center providing services in the
jurisdiction, if any; the chief of each police department and the chief of each
campus police department of any institution of higher education in the
jurisdiction, if any; a forensic nurse examiner or other health care provider
who performs Physical Evidence Recovery Kit examinations in the jurisdiction, if
any; the Title IX coordinator of any institution of higher education in the
jurisdiction, if any; representatives from the offices of student affairs, human
resources, and counseling services of any institution of higher education in the
jurisdiction, if any; a representative of campus security of any institution of
higher education in the jurisdiction that has not established a campus police
department, if any; and the director of the victim/witness program in the
jurisdiction, if any. In addition, the attorney for the Commonwealth shall
invite other individuals, or their designees, to participate in the annual
meeting, including (i) local health department district directors; (ii) the
administrator of each licensed hospital within the jurisdiction; (iii) the
director of each health safety net clinic within the jurisdiction, including
those clinics created by 42 C.F.R. &#xA7; 491.1 and the free and charitable
clinics; and (iv) as determined by the attorney for the Commonwealth, any other
local health care providers.

C. Attorneys for the Commonwealth are authorized to conduct the sexual assault
response team annual meetings using other methods to encourage attendance,
including electronic communication means as provided in &#xA7; 2.2-3708.3.

HISTORY: 2009, c. 817; 2012, cc. 343, 625; 2016, cc. 235, 550; 2020, cc. 1072,
1073; 2022, c. 597.