Amendment #452 to H4000

Study of Rape Kit Testing Backlog

Mr. Toomey of Cambridge moves to amend the bill by adding the following new section:

SECTION XXX. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, all state crime laboratories and facilities authorized by section 7 of chapter 22E of the General Laws, and all local police departments, shall undertake a physical inventory of sexual assault evidence collection kits in their possession by November 1, 2014. The director of the state crime laboratory and the chief law enforcement officer of each city and town shall provide a written report to the secretary of public safety and security no later than December 1, 2014 stating: (a) the number of sexual assault evidence collection kits in their possession containing forensic evidence, as defined by section 220 of Chapter 111 of the General Laws, that have not undergone DNA analysis, as defined by Section 1 of Chapter 22E of the General Laws, as of September 1, 2014; and (b) the month and year that each untested sexual assault evidence collection kit containing forensic evidence was received by the reporting laboratory or local police department.

(b) The secretary of the executive office of public safety and security shall prepare and transmit a report to the clerk of the house of representatives and the senate containing the information reported under this section no later than January 1, 2015.