The Senate Judiciary Committee today unanimously passed Senator Denise Harper Angel’s bill to establish policies and procedures for the swift and proper handling of sexual assault evidence kits.
Under Senate Bill 63, known as the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) Act 2016:
• Each law enforcement agency will need to develop a written policy and procedure manual related to sexual assault kits;
• All sexual assault kits shall be taken into custody from the collecting facility within five days;
• All sexual assault kits shall be submitted to the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Crime Lab within 30 days;
• All sexual assault kits submitted to a law enforcement agency shall be tested;
• Law enforcement agencies shall be prohibited from destroying any sexual assault kits, and
• All victims shall be notified of the progress and results of the testing.
The measure also requires the average completion date for assault kit testing not to exceed 90 days by July 1, 2018 and not to exceed 60 days by July 1, 2020.
Currently, it takes about eight months for a sexual assault kit to be tested once it is submitted to the lab. Harper Angel said that the time it takes to test these kits is too long.
“During the long but very important process of developing this bill, the working group put together legislation that ensures swift justice for victims of sexual assault, takes criminals off our streets, and protects future generations,” said Harper Angel.
SB 63 is in response to a legislative-ordered audit that found there are 3,090 untested sexual assault examination kits in Kentucky.
Harper Angel also sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 20 during the 2015 Legislative Session that called for the audit.
The bill now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.