GOVERNOR MURPHY SIGNS LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING RAPE KIT TRACKING SYSTEM

The bill, which unanimously passed the Senate and General Assembly before reaching the Governor’s desk, requires the Attorney General to issue guidelines or a directive establishing a sexual assault forensic evidence (SAFE) kit tracking system victim, state, county, or municipal law enforcement officers, accessible to t and, as deemed appropriate, employees of a health care facility or laboratory.

“Survivors of sexual assault who show strength and resilience in coming forward deserve recognition and support,” said Governor Murphy. “This well overdue bill cements into law the work our Administration has undertaken to support survivors. Through the groundwork laid by the Office of the Attorney General, in collaboration with the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance, the Division of Criminal Justice, and other law enforcement officials, survivors will have access to a dedicated tracking system to stay informed through every step of their pursuit of justice.”

“In New Jersey, we understand the impact of sexual assault victimization and have been implementing survivor-centered, trauma-informed policies in response,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “In March 2023, we issued a directive that expands the time we retain SAFE kits and has since required all kits submitted to law enforcement’s consent to with the survival be brought to the lab for analysis.

In 2023, LPS secured federal funding to create a sexual assault kit tracking system that will provide more transparency and autonomy to those who have been harmed. We have been coordinating with multiple State agencies for more than a year to implement this system. We thank the Legislature and Governor Murphy for sharing these priorities.”

In 2023, Attorney General Platkin announced that the state had received $2 million in competitive federal funding to establish an advanced tracking system for its SAFE kits.

Later that year, Attorney General Platkin issued a statewide law enforcement directive to ensure that sexual assault survivors have access to the medical, investigative, and supportive services they need and deserve. The evidence collected in sexual assault cases is preserved and processed in a victim-centered and efficient manner.

This directive extended the required retention period for evidence, including DNA evidence, from sexual assault medical examinations from five years to 20 years; established statewide procedures and guidelines for tracking, storing, and determining how and when such evidence is submitted for testing; and mandated that all SAFE Kits provided to law enforcement with a victim’s consent be submitted to the forensic laboratory for testing.