Thank you, Madam Speaker, and my fellow MPs.
The backlog of untested rape kits is a serious problem in our law enforcement system. According to
End the Backlog, forensic examinations from sexual assaults remain untested by the thousands across dozens of states, including at least seven in Frémont alone. Each untested kit may contain the DNA of a sexual predator. Each kit may represent a victim denied justice, and a rapist allowed to walk free.
My bill establishes clear, achievable mandates for local law enforcement agencies to send rape kits to labs for testing. It also ensures that all victims are offered the chance to use a rape kit, and that there are serious consequences for police departments that don't clear their backlogs by the end of the year. By changing how Frémont investigates sexual assaults, we can ensure justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.
I look forward to hearing my colleagues' feedback on this proposal. I intended the bill to be an unfunded mandate, but I'm open to adding temporary funding for backlog clearing on a kit-by-kit basis. Thank you.
