The Iowa attorney general’s office is currently conducting an audit of its victim services, which has resulted in a hold on emergency contraception funding for victims of sexual assault. The audit, initiated by Attorney General Brenna Bird, is nearing completion after being announced over a year ago. The decision to pause the funding was made pending the audit results to determine the appropriateness of continuing these payments.
Under the previous administration, the policy allowed for partial coverage of contraception costs for sexual assault victims, including rare cases where the cost of abortion was also covered. The current administration is reevaluating this practice as part of a comprehensive audit of victim assistance programs.
State and federal laws mandate that medical examination costs for sexual assault victims be covered to ensure proper collection of forensic evidence. In Iowa, these costs are typically covered by the attorney general office’s crime victim compensation program, which is funded by criminal fines and penalties.
Records from the previous administration indicate that victims' prescription costs for oral contraceptives, the Plan-B morning-after pill, and treatments for sexually transmitted infections were reimbursed at a rate of 75%. However, the delay in funding has raised concerns among advocacy groups like Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa, who criticize the audit as a political maneuver to justify cutting off payments.
Attorney General Bird, who campaigned on an anti-abortion platform, is also involved in defending Iowa’s restrictive abortion law before the state Supreme Court. The law, currently on hold, seeks to ban most abortions after approximately six weeks of pregnancy if upheld.
Despite the delay in emergency contraception funding, Bird's office clarified that the crime victim compensation fund continues to cover costs for sexual assault examinations, rape kits, and STI tests. The audit findings are expected to be released soon, shedding light on the future of emergency contraception funding for sexual assault victims in Iowa.
