A Washington legislative proposal to eliminate a growing backlog of untested sexual assault kits by December 2021 could change the way the kits are handled.
The state has invested millions of dollars to reduce the backlog of the kits, which totaled just under 10,000 as of last December, and lawmakers have discussed legislation addressing how to better collect, store, and track forensic evidence. The bill, which passed its third reading in the Senate on Wednesday, would define the so-called rape kits to include all evidence collected during a sexual assault exam, require the preservation of investigation records related to the kit, and require local law enforcement to hold on to unreported kits for 20 years.
Currently, rape kits cannot be destroyed, though investigatory reports and notes associated with those kits can be.
The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs raised concerns over holding material that is not yet part of a police report, something the bill would require authorities to do. The group also argued that rape kits not associated with a reported crime are not considered evidence. (AP)
