Tennessee bill ensuring teen rape victims have access to sexual assault exams fails
Legislation to guarantee teen victims of sexual assault the right to a forensic rape exam without parental consent failed in the Tennessee Legislature last week, despite drawing strong bipartisan support.
The legislation was brought as a technical fix to the 2024 “Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act,” which established a parent’s right to “make all physical and mental healthcare decisions for the child and consent to all physical and mental health care on the child’s behalf.” The act was among a series of laws brought in response to COVID vaccine requirements.
But forensic rape exams, which include collecting evidence for law enforcement and providing medical care and support to victims, were not explicitly made an exception to the 2024 parental consent law, which adds hefty penalties for healthcare providers who fail to comply: parents have the right to sue doctors and nurses who fail to get their consent, and healthcare providers may face professional discipline, including the loss of their licenses.
As a result, some sexual assault centers in Tennessee are interpreting the law as tying their hands in serving teens without a parent’s permission and have turned young victims away to avoid legal repercussions, victim advocates in Tennessee said this week.
https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/04/28/tennessee-bill-ensuring-teen-rape-victims-have-access-to-sexual-assault-exams-fails/
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