Alabama crime victims commission mulls payments for domestic violence exams

The director for the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission said Thursday the commission is “exploring” the option of paying for domestic violence exams.

ACVCC currently pays for sexual assault forensic exams (SAFE). The commission’s 2025 annual report showed in fiscal year 2025, it paid $536,483 for SAFE examinations for the over 1,200 exams the commission received.

“Because we pay for sexual assault for the exams, those in the DV (domestic violence) world feel like we need to be paying for DV assault exams, which includes photos taken and a certain camera that picks up internal injuries or deeper injuries for strangulation cases,” said Everette Johnson, executive director of ACVCC during the meeting.

ACVCC does not currently cover domestic violence strangulation exams, according to Johnson, because it is considered evidence collection, not medical care.

Johnson said the average cost to complete the exams would be around $200, but it’s unclear how many exams are done in a year. According to the Alabama Administrative Code, an adult SAFE exam with medication is $400 while an adult SAFE exam with medication is $550.

Domestic violence is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” The ACVCC annual report showed the commission approved over 100 domestic violence claims from victims.

Commissioner Holly Brown-Owens said during the meeting that because of how much covering domestic violence examinations could cost if providers try to examine everyone, she understands why it isn’t covered by the state.

“I guess it’d be something we just have to think about, because I can see what this cost could explode,” she said.