(a) Every public or private general acute care hospital, clinic, or other emergency medical facility that examines a victim of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault, including child sexual abuse, shall comply with the standards specified in Section 13823.11 and the protocol and guidelines adopted pursuant to Section 13823.5.
(b) Each county with a population of more than 100,000 shall arrange that professional personnel trained in the examination of victims of sexual assault, including child sexual abuse, shall be present or on call either in the county hospital which provides emergency medical services or in any general acute care hospital which has contracted with the county to provide emergency medical services. In counties with a population of 1,000,000 or more, the presence of these professional personnel shall be arranged in at least one general acute care hospital for each 1,000,000 persons in the county.
(c) Each county shall designate at least one general acute care hospital to perform examinations on victims of sexual assault, including child sexual abuse.
(d) (1) The protocol published by the Office of Emergency Services shall be used as a guide for the procedures to be used by every public or private general acute care hospital in the state for the examination and treatment of victims of sexual assault and attempted sexual assault, including child sexual abuse, and the collection and preservation of evidence therefrom.
(2) The informational guide developed by the Office of Emergency Services shall be consulted where indicated in the protocol, as well as to gain knowledge about all aspects of examination and treatment of victims of sexual assault and child sexual abuse.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 714, Sec. 5. (AB 538) Effective January 1, 2020.)