Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Reauthorize Debbie Smith Act, Fight Rape Kit Backlog

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) today introduced legislation to reauthorize the Debbie Smith Act, which would provide state and local law enforcement agencies with resources to complete forensic analyses of crime scenes and untested rape kits:

“This landmark legislation has played a critical role in the fight to end backlogs of untested kits in cities across America,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By reauthorizing key programs created under the Debbie Smith Act, we can empower law enforcement to continue testing DNA evidence to solve crimes and support survivors.”

“DNA evidence is critical for achieving justice for sexual assault victims,” said Sen. Feinstein. “The Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant program has dramatically reduced the backlog of untested DNA rape kits, helping us get more dangerous predators off the streets. The program is set to expire next year so it’s vital that Congress passes our bill to reauthorize this important program for another five years.”

“As a former prosecutor, I know firsthand that behind every unprocessed rape kit is a victim of sexual assault wondering if they will ever see justice,” Klobuchar said. “By reauthorizing the critical Debbie Smith Act, our legislation will provide law enforcement officers with additional resources to process untested rape kits and other DNA evidence, helping them bring more criminals to justice.” 

The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Kennedy (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

Background on the Debbie Smith Act:

The Debbie Smith Act was originally signed into law in 2004 to provide local and state crime laboratories resources to end the backlog of untested DNA evidence from unsolved crimes, analyze DNA samples, and increase the capacity to process DNA in order to guard against future backlogs. Since it became law, more than 860,000 DNA cases have been processed. In addition to crime scene evidence, Debbie Smith funds are also utilized to process offender DNA samples to ensure evidence from unsolved crimes can be matched against a database of known offenders, similar to the criminal fingerprint databases.

This legislation is endorsed by Debbie Smith, the Fraternal Order of Police, Major Cities Chiefs, Major County Sheriffs of America, National District Attorneys Association, Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), and Joyful Heart Foundation.