Rep. Gina McCabe, R-Goldendale, has three bills awaiting the governor’s signature after they recently passed the Legislature.
House Bill 2101 would require the Office of Crime Victim Advocacy (OCVA) to develop best practices for local communities seeking better access to sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE). It also calls for the OCVA to develop strategies to make SANE training available to nurses in all regions of the state without requiring the nurses to travel unreasonable distances or incur unreasonable expenses. Currently, the only SANE training available in Washington is at Harborview Medical Center.
House Bill 2951 would require the Washington State Patrol (WSP) to work with tribal law enforcement, federally recognized tribes, Urban Indian organizations, and the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs to conduct a study to increase state resources for reporting and identifying missing Native American women throughout Washington state.
House Bill 1539, also known as Erin’s Law, would require the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to establish a coordinated program to provide age-appropriate information and training pertaining to the prevention of sexual abuse of students. It would also require the OSPI to disseminate existing information and curricula to school districts.
McCabe says she is thankful for the advocates, supporters and legislative staff who helped her in getting the bills through the Legislature.
“These bills would not have been possible without the tremendous courage of the men and women who testified, shared their stories, wrote letters and emails, and called my office expressing their support,” said McCabe. “Each of these bills are important components to building stronger, healthier communities, and I look forward to seeing them be signed into law by our governor soon.”
The 2018 legislative session is scheduled to adjourn March 8.