SB 1449 – Rape kits: testing
AB 3118 – Sexual assault: investigations
S.B. 1449 replaces “should” with “shall” in Section 680 of the penal code in order to mandate the swift submission and testing of rape kits with an associated police report. This critical bill ensures kits that survivors have consented to be tested will be submitted to a lab and analyzed expeditiously. Rape is one of the most life altering and traumatizing experiences, so it’s critical that rape kits are processed swiftly to both attain justice and help identify and prosecute rapists so that we can keep them off the streets. SB 1449 and AB 3118 will require that rape kits are tested promptly moving forward and that we know how many untested kits exist in California so that we can keep communities and potential victims safe.
Link to Bill SB 1449 Link to Bill AB 3118 Hollywood NOW letter
UPDATE: MAY 25, 2018
Today rape kit reform took a giant step forward in California, thanks to Senator Ricardo Lara (D-33) and Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-80).
The bills now move on for further consideration by the legislature. S.B. 1449, sponsored by Senator Connie Leyva (D-20), mandates testing of all newly collected rape kits in California. A.B. 3118, sponsored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-17), requires all law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and crime labs to inventory their kits.
We still have a long road ahead before these bills become law. We will keep you updated on the bills’ progress and let you know about further actions you can take to pass rape kit reform in California this year.