Section 1560.31  Application and Receipt of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) General Revenue Funds

a)         The Illinois General Assembly intends to create a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) pilot program to establish SANE projects geographically distributed throughout Illinois. Subject to an appropriation of general revenue funds ("SANE funds") from the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority ("Authority") will implement the SANE pilot program, including SANE pilot projects in hospital emergency rooms geographically distributed throughout Illinois. For each SANE pilot project, specially trained sexual assault nurse examiners or specially trained sexual assault physician examiners will provide health assessments, collect forensic evidence from sexual assault victims in the emergency room, and testify to victims' injuries during criminal prosecutions of sex offenses.

b)         The Authority shall review the funding purposes of the SANE pilot program set forth by authorizing legislation [20 ILCS 3930/7.1] and invite eligible hospitals to submit proposals to implement the SANE pilot program through a request for proposal (RFP) process. Based on the authorizing legislation and the proposals received in response to the Authority's RFP, the Authority shall select proposals for SANE funding at a public meeting in conformance with the Open Meetings Act [5 ILCS 120] and the Authority's rules (2 Ill. Adm. Code 1750.310 et seq.).

c)         The Executive Director of the Authority shall develop an RFP based on the following criteria:

1)         the SANE pilot program authorizing legislation [20 ILCS 3930/7.1];

2)         requirements imposed on the Authority and potential recipient implementing agencies by applicable law, regulations and guidelines;

3)         the nature and complexity of the SANE pilot program;

4)         the types of hospitals eligible to receive SANE funds; and

5)         current research findings, and demographic, medical, social science, criminal justice and statistical data that is relevant to SANE program purposes.

d)         RFPs developed pursuant to the criteria described in subsection (c) above shall include:

1)         the purposes, goals and objectives of the SANE pilot program, and the types of SANE pilot projects and costs that will be considered for funding;

2)         requirements that implementing agencies receiving SANE funds must meet, and adhere to, such as hospital eligibility requirements and fiscal, progress and closeout reporting requirements;

3)         certifications required by law, including, but not limited to, the State of Illinois Drug-Free Workplace certification and State bribery and bid-rigging certifications;

4)         descriptive information that applicants will be required to provide regarding the proposed SANE pilot project, including a description of the applicant hospital and the programs and services it currently provides to victims of sexual assault; a summary of the proposed project; a statement of the need for, and the goals and objectives of, the project; the strategy the applicant will undertake to meet the goals and objectives of the project, which should include the training of project staff through an approved SANE training program; an implementation schedule for the project that includes activities to be undertaken to accomplish each objective, the person responsible for each activity and the expected completion date for each activity; and a project budget that explains how budgeted items are related and necessary to the project and how costs were calculated;

5)         the criteria by which the Executive Director of the Authority will review and recommend proposals for funding; such criteria shall be given an associated weight and shall include:

A)        the adequacy with which the proposed SANE pilot project reflects the purposes, goals and objectives of the SANE pilot program;

B)        whether the applicant is an eligible hospital as defined by SANE pilot program requirements;

C)        the adequacy with which the applicant describes and supports the need for the SANE pilot project within the applicant's hospital emergency room;

D)        the qualifications of key personnel that will perform SANE pilot project activities;

E)        the technical merit of the proposed SANE pilot project design, as reflected in the proposal received by the Authority; this criteria includes an assessment of the sufficiency of the proposed project in addressing the purposes, goals and objectives of the SANE pilot program; an assessment of the methods by which the proposed project will implement and adhere to SANE programmatic and training requirements and standards; and an assessment of how the applicant will administer the project, both fiscally and programmatically, to achieve the purposes, goals, objectives, and project duration requirements of the SANE pilot program;

F)         the applicant's capability to carry out the goals and objectives of the SANE pilot program in the manner reflected in the proposal received by the Authority;

G)        the adequacy of the proposed project budget, which includes an assessment of the reasonableness and allowability of the costs that were estimated and included in the budget;

H)        the applicant's ability and commitment to providing victim centered services to victims of sexual assault and collaboration with other organizations and agencies to improve the response to sexual assault victims;

I)         the ability of the applicant to sustain the SANE pilot project if State or federal funding is not available; and

J)         any additional criteria that would further SANE program purposes;

6)         the method and deadline by which, and location where, proposals must be received by the Authority;

7)         the total amount of SANE funding available for distribution through the RFP process, and the maximum amount of SANE funding that eligible implementing agencies may apply for through the submission of an RFP;

8)         the required project duration requirements of the SANE pilot program in accordance with the program authorizing legislation [20 ILCS 3930/7.1]; and

9)         any other information that would further SANE program purposes.

e)         Based upon SANE pilot program authorizing legislation and the above proposal review criteria, the Executive Director shall identify those applicants with the best proposals that are geographically distributed throughout the State, and recommend those applicants for SANE funding approved by the Budget Committee.

f)         The Budget Committee shall, at a public meeting, designate implementing agencies and amounts for SANE pilot projects that are geographically distributed throughout the State. The Budget Committee's decision to designate SANE pilot projects, implementing agencies, and fund amounts shall be based upon the recommendations of the Executive Director and the criteria set forth in the RFP, as described in subsection (d) above; Budget Committee designations shall be made at a public meeting conducted in conformance with the Open Meetings Act.

g)         The Executive Director shall enter into interagency agreements with those implementing agencies designated by the Budget Committee, specifying the terms and conditions under which the SANE pilot projects are to be conducted and SANE funds are to be received. The terms and conditions shall include but not be limited to reporting requirements that reflect fiscal expenditures and progress in meeting SANE pilot program objectives, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, the prohibition of subcontracting or assignment of agreements without prior written approval of the Authority, and the status of the implementing agency as an independent contractor.

h)         No later than two years after the SANE pilot projects are established, the Authority shall report to the Illinois General Assembly on the efficacy of the SANE pilot program.

(Source:  Added at 24 Ill. Reg. 8243, effective May 30, 2000)