Provides relative to the treatment of sexual assault survivors by hospitals and healthcare providers (OR INCREASE SG EX See Note)

House Bill 895 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 40:1216.1(A)(2)(e) to establish a minimum supply requirement for post-exposure prophylaxis provided to sexual assault survivors during forensic medical examinations. The bill modifies existing law that permitted healthcare providers to include medication during such examinations by changing discretionary language to a mandatory requirement that providers make available, when medically indicated, emergency contraception and no less than a three-day supply of HIV or sexually transmitted infection post-exposure prophylaxis to each survivor. This change shifts the statutory framework from permitting medication provision to affirmatively requiring healthcare providers to ensure survivors receive at least a three-day supply of prophylactic treatment as part of the forensic medical examination process.

The practical effect of this legislation impacts sexual assault survivors who present to licensed hospitals and healthcare providers throughout Louisiana for forensic medical examinations. Survivors will now have a guaranteed minimum of three days of HIV and STI post-exposure prophylaxis available to them when medically appropriate, rather than receiving discretionary medication based on individual provider judgment. Healthcare providers, including hospitals and licensed medical practitioners, are obligated to stock and dispense these prophylactic medications as part of their standard protocol for sexual assault survivors. This requirement ensures continuity of preventive care during the critical window following sexual assault when post-exposure prophylaxis is most effective in preventing disease transmission.

This amendment operates within the broader statutory framework of Louisiana's sexual assault survivor treatment protocols established in R.S. 40:1216.1, which requires all licensed hospitals and healthcare providers to offer comprehensive treatment to survivors without undue delay in private spaces. The statute already mandates forensic medical examinations adapted to each survivor's unique needs, advocate availability with privileged communications under R.S. 46:2187, and consent-based procedures for examination components. By specifying the minimum three-day supply requirement, the bill establishes a concrete baseline for medication provision that aligns with medical best practices for post-exposure prophylaxis efficacy while maintaining the existing framework requiring medical indication before administration.