McMahon supports law reducing rape victims' wait for an exam

Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon supports a bill pending in Springfield that would require hospitals by 2021 to have a nurse certified to conduct a forensic sexual assault examination respond within 90 minutes of a victim appearing in an emergency room.

McMahon said the state is home to 196,000 registered nurses, but only 32 are certified by the International Association of Forensic Nurses to perform examinations on adult sexual assault patients. And of those 32, only 12 are certified to examine children under 18, McMahon said.

Requiring a sexual assault victim to wait several hours in an emergency room for an examination is "unacceptable," he said.

"This is a complex issue. I get that. But I go back to the 32 out of 196,000 (nurses). That doesn't cut it," McMahon said Tuesday during his monthly meeting with reporters.

McMahon said he has written letters to area lawmakers supporting the bill, which also requires hospitals to provide sexual assault training to their staffs.

"I can't overstate this. Nurses really do God's work. But there are only 32 nurses in the state of Illinois who are certified by the International Assocation of Forensic Nurses," he said. "We need more trained nurses."

The bill was introduced into the Illinois House in February and passed in late April, with legislators changing the compliance date to 2021 rather than 2023. The bill has been assigned to a committee in the Illinois Senate.

McMahon said the Illinois Health and Hospital Assocation was concerned about increased costs if the measure passes.

But Danny Chun, IHA spokesman, said the assocation's main concerns are not costs but having a "realistic timetable" for implementation and broadening the pool of providers.

"We are continuing to have discussions with all the key stakeholders," Chun said. "We do support the important policy objectives of the legislation."