sexual assault survivors; rights

HB 2836 establishes new rights for sexual assault survivors in Arizona, directly affecting survivors, medical providers, law enforcement, and victim advocacy programs. The bill creates confidentiality for communications between survivors and trained victim advocates (requiring 30 hours of specific training), prohibits charging survivors for medical exams, and guarantees survivors the right to consult an advocate during medical exams and police interviews. It also mandates that medical facilities inform survivors of their rights before exams, ensures survivors can request gender-specific interviewers, and prohibits using sexual assault kits to prosecute survivors for unrelated minor offenses. The law aims to protect survivors' privacy and autonomy throughout medical and legal processes.