Bill Text: HI HB980 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii House Bill 980 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: AG; Sexual Assault Collection Kits; Report

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-29 - Referred to JUD, referral sheet 5 [HB980 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-HB980-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	980
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to sexual offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there are nationwide backlogs of untested sexual assault collection kits. Thousands of these kits have been discovered languishing in police evidence rooms, as opposed to being sent to forensics laboratories for analysis. Consequently, sexual assault victims are left without justice and offenders remain on the streets.

The purpose of this Act is to require the attorney general to:

(1) Conduct an inventory of all untested sexual assault collection kits in the possession of state or county law enforcement agencies;

(2) Develop and implement a plan to reduce the backlog of untested sexual assault collection kits; and

(3) Report the attorney general's findings and recommendations to the legislature.

SECTION 2. (a) The attorney general shall conduct an inventory of all untested sexual assault collection kits in the possession of state or county law enforcement agencies, including the date that the forensic medical examination was performed for each untested sexual assault collection kit.

(b) If the attorney general finds that there is a backlog of untested sexual assault collection kits, the attorney general shall develop and implement a plan to reduce the backlog of untested sexual assault collection kits.

(c) The attorney general shall coordinate with appropriate state and county agencies and forensics laboratories to implement this section.

(d) For purposes of this Act:

"Forensic medical examination" means an examination provided to the victim of a sexual offense by a health care provider for the purpose of gathering and preserving evidence of a sexual offense for use in a court of law.

"Sexual assault collection kit" means a human biological specimen or specimens collected from the victim of a sexual offense by a health care provider during a forensic medical examination.

"Untested sexual assault collection kit" means a sexual assault collection kit that has not been submitted to a forensics laboratory for a serology or deoxyribonucleic acid test.

SECTION 3. The attorney general shall submit a report of the attorney general's findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2016.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

AG; Sexual Assault Collection Kits; Report

Description:

Requires the AG to conduct an inventory of all untested sexual assault collection kits in the possession of state or county law enforcement agencies; to develop and implement a plan to reduce the backlog of untested sexual assault collection kits; and to report to the legislature.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.