Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sane Certification Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nurse examiners seek $400,000 to expand SANE certification and rural access
Summary
Witnesses for House Bill 3,070 told the Judiciary committees that funding the SANE Certification Commission is essential to maintain standards, increase rural coverage and retain forensic nurse examiners; the bill would appropriate $400,000 to the Department of Justice for that work.
Sponsors opened a public hearing on House Bill 3,070, which would appropriate $400,000 General Fund to the Department of Justice to support the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force and the Oregon SANE Certification Commission.
Mara Pomegranate, SANE coordinator for the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force, told the committee HB 3,070 would help expand rural outreach, support certification candidates and grow Oregon’s SANE workforce so survivors can receive timely, trauma‑informed medical forensic care. She testified that 17 of Oregon’s 36 counties currently have no certified sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs), leaving more than 1.4 million residents without local access.
Teresa Muncy, chair of the Oregon SANE Certification Commission and lead forensic nurse examiner in the Portland metro area, described the hours of documentation and specialized skills SANEs provide and said the commission is a volunteer‑led body that lacks sustained funding for outreach, oversight and candidate support. She urged the committee to fund training, mentorship and certification administration so that certified standards are uniform across the state.
Ashley Lehman, lead SANE at Good Shepherd Medical Center (Hermiston), joined remotely and described rural challenges: long travel distances, high turnover, limited local training, and difficulty providing 24/7 coverage. She said turnaround times and access are strongly affected by SANE availability and that certification funding would help retain nurses and improve competency.
The committee closed the hearing; no vote was recorded during the session.
