Bill > H4836

This bill establishes a DNA exception rule for victims of rape. Specifically, it amends existing laws to: (1) require that all rape kits be retained for at least 15 years, and (2) allow for the prosecution of certain sexual assault offenses (i.e., those covered under sections 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 23, 23A, or 23B of chapter 265) at any time after the commission of the offense, if the perpetrator's identity was identified through a DNA record after the normal statute of limitations period. This change is intended to provide more time for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute sexual assault cases where the perpetrator's identity is eventually determined through DNA evidence, even if the standard statute of limitations has expired.