STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator RENEE C. BURGESS
District 28 (Essex and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires AG to establish rape kit tracking system.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning sexual assault forensic evidence kits and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Attorney General shall establish a Statewide sexual assault forensic evidence kit tracking system. The Attorney General shall issue guidelines or a directive establishing the system.
b. As used in this section, "sexual assault forensic evidence kit tracking system" means an Internet-based system that allows a person, including a victim; a State, county, or municipal law enforcement officer; an employee of a healthcare facility or laboratory, as deemed appropriate by the Attorney General; and any other person, as deemed appropriate by the Attorney General, to track a sexual assault forensic evidence kit through the chain of custody from the time of collection at a healthcare facility to the transfer to a local law enforcement agency, submission to an appropriate laboratory for processing and testing, and final disposition.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month after enactment, but the Attorney General may take any administrative action in advance as shall be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Attorney General to establish a sexual assault forensic evidence (SAFE) kit, commonly referred to as a rape kit, tracking system.
Under the bill, the Attorney General is to issue guidelines or a directive establishing the system.
The bill defines a "sexual assault forensic evidence kit tracking system" as an Internet-based system that allows a person, including a victim; a State, county, or municipal law enforcement officer; an employee of a healthcare facility or laboratory, as deemed appropriate by the Attorney General; and any other person, as deemed appropriate by the Attorney General, to track a sexual assault forensic evidence kit through the chain of custody from the time of collection at a healthcare facility to the transfer to a local law enforcement agency, submission to a laboratory, and final disposition.