Bill > HB2530

This bill establishes a statewide sexual assault kit tracking system in Washington state, managed by the Washington State Patrol, to track the location and status of sexual assault kits throughout the criminal justice process, from collection at medical facilities to analysis at laboratories and final storage or destruction. This system will allow medical facilities, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, forensic labs, and other entities in possession of these kits to update their status, and importantly, will enable victims of sexual assault to anonymously track or receive updates on their kits, providing them with much-needed information and empowerment. The bill mandates participation from local law enforcement agencies, sheriffs, the Washington State Patrol's bureau of forensic laboratory services, and hospitals, with full participation required by June 1, 2018, and requires the Washington State Patrol to submit regular reports detailing the number of kits, analysis status, and processing times, thereby increasing transparency and fostering public trust in the handling of these critical pieces of evidence. Additionally, the bill clarifies that public agencies, officials, and hospitals are generally not liable for damages related to the release or failure to release information from the tracking system, provided there is no gross negligence, and it also amends existing law to ensure that records and information within this new tracking system are exempt from public inspection and copying, protecting victim privacy. Finally, the bill also creates the Washington sexual assault kit program to accept private funds for conducting forensic analysis of kits that were not submitted for analysis as of July 24, 2015, with 85% of these funds going to the Washington State Patrol for analysis and 15% to the office of crime victims advocacy for sexual assault nurse examiner services and training, though this program is set to expire on June 30, 2022.