Morgan LaMondre, executive director of STAR (a sexual‑assault service provider), told the Legislature’s task force on Sept. 26 that cuts to federal and foundation grants will force STAR to stop providing hospital accompaniment for forensic medical exams beginning Oct. 1.

"We are losing American Rescue Plan funding ... we have to stop hospital accompaniments, in October," LaMondre said, adding that her organization has already begun issuing notices to community partners.

Why it matters: hospital accompaniment — an advocate physically present with a survivor during a forensic exam — is described by providers as an immediate protective and informational service. Advocates can explain survivors’ legal rights, help ensure policies are followed in the exam, and provide emotional support that survivors and family members frequently say alters outcomes in interviews and prosecution.

LaMondre told the task force STAR’s immediate shortfall for advocacy staffing is roughly $300,000 for the coming year. She said the center depends on a mix of funding sources that have been cut or are uncertain: American Rescue Plan funds that had been passed through the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants, and relatively small pass‑through allocations labeled as SASP and STOP in federal grant programs. "If I lose accreditation, then I don't get the $110,000 from SASP and the $38,000 from STOP," she said.

Crystal Mitchell, executive director of the Louisiana Alliance of Children's Advocacy Centers (LACAC), which supports the state's child advocacy centers, told the task force that child advocacy centers and sexual‑assault providers play distinct roles even when they partner on cases. "Last year, we served over 7,000 children. 7,563 children receive care at a local child advocacy center," Mitchell said, adding that CACs coordinate multidisciplinary teams and a range of follow‑up services.

Task force members and providers discussed both short‑term and longer‑term remedies: emergency state funding to bridge the Oct. 1 gap, and structural funding changes such as dedicated state line items or alternative fee mechanisms other states use to support sexual‑assault services. LaMondre and others noted prior and proposed funding mechanisms in other states — including court fines or dedicated fees — but stressed that the immediate crisis requires stopgap dollars to keep advocates on call.

Discussion versus decision: the task force did not vote on or authorize funding. Providers asked the task force members to consider emergency appropriations and pledged to pursue competitive federal grants and private foundations. The task force asked providers to return with detailed figures and to explore short‑term options while policy recommendations are developed.

What providers asked for next: LaMondre asked the panel for help identifying short‑term funding and said STAR would send a formal needs estimate and timeline to task force staff. The legislative chair asked agencies and providers to reconvene with proposed models in November.