The California State Senate unanimously passed legislation requiring law enforcement agencies and forensic laboratories to promptly analyze and test all newly-collected rape kit evidence.
The legislation will require rape kits to be submitted within 20 days and tested no later than 120 days after receipt.
The idea is to prevent backlogs of rape kits in evidence rooms or laboratories.
It also ensures that sexual assault survivors have equal access to results of forensic evidence associated with their cases.
The measure now advances to the assembly.
Related coverage:
Proposed law aims to end ‘backlog’ of rape kits
