The bill was introduced after a 2023 investigation found a range of sexual misconduct allegations reported to the state medical board over 42 years. The bill would change several things about how abuse by a clinician is reported and handled, including requiring prosecutors to alert medical boards that handle medical licenses of an indictment or charge of sexual battery against a medical professional.
- Require courts to alert medical boards when a medical professional is convicted of sexual battery.
- Expands the definition of rape to include circumstances when the offender knew the victim’s judgment was impared due to medical treatment.
- If a person knows a licensed medical professional sexually abused a patient and failed to report it within 30 days, they can be charged with failure to report a crime.
- Prohibits intimate examinations on unconscious patients.
The bill has already passed the House and will be reviewed by the Senate before going to the governor’s desk.
