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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/23/2024 02:50 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20130&cosponId=14781
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House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: May 23, 2014 01:32 PM
From: Representative Brendan F. Boyle
To: All House members
Subject: Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry in PA (SAFER PA)
 
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to amend Act 165 of 2006 (the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act) to require a more comprehensive process for the testing of evidence collected pursuant to a sexual assault.

Currently, Pennsylvania law provides for a sexual assault evidence collection program to promote the health and safety of victims of sexual assault and to facilitate the prosecution of persons accused of sexual assault. However, I believe current law must be expanded to provide for precise policy and procedures for law enforcement and require the Department of Health to create specific guidelines with regard to sexual assault evidence collection and testing. My legislation would provide for the following:
  • The Department of Health would designate which laboratories are approved to receive, test, and analyze sexual assault evidence;
  • Testing laboratories would be required to produce results of testing within a specified timeframe;
  • Testing laboratories would be required to test and analyze current rape kit backlogs within a specified timeframe; and
  • Law enforcement would be required to report on testing backlogs and permitted to upload testing results into a national, state, or local database for the purpose of aiding criminal investigations.
Nationwide, there are at least 400,000 backlogged and untested rape-kits. Many states, including Pennsylvania, have no reporting requirements, resulting in the true extent of this backlog being unknown. Every untested kit represents a horrible injustice to the victim; a victim who may be lacking the closure that would come with solving their case. To this end, I ask you to stand with me to strengthen our current law so sexual assault perpetrators can be brought to justice with expediency and efficiency. I urge you to join me in sponsoring this important legislation. Thank you!

Introduced as HB2489