summary
Introduced
In Committee
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
112th Congress
Bill Summary
Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry Act of 2011 or the SAFER Act of 2011 - Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to: (1) allow states or local governments to use grant funds under such Act to conduct audits of samples of sexual assault evidence that are awaiting testing, and (2) provide funding in FY2012-FY2016 for such purpose. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants for such audits only if the grant recipient (i.e., a state or local government) submits a plan for performing the audit of samples of sexual assault evidence and includes a good-faith estimate of the number of such samples. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) establish a Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry to include information about samples of sexual assault evidence awaiting testing and to track the testing and processing of such samples, and (2) develop and disseminate to law enforcement and other appropriate agencies a report on best practices for the testing and use of DNA evidence collected as part of a criminal investigation of sexual assault cases. Sets forth requirements relating to information required to be included in such Registry, the protection of personally identifiable information in the Registry, and the updating of information in the Registry. Expresses the sense of Congress that law enforcement agencies and other appropriate entities should use the best practices developed by the Attorney General to develop, evaluate, and improve DNA evidence protocols.
AI Summary
This bill, the SAFER Act of 2011, aims to improve the handling of sexual assault evidence by amending the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000. Key provisions include allowing states and local governments to use grant funds to audit sexual assault evidence samples that are awaiting testing, with dedicated funding for this purpose from fiscal years 2012 through 2016. To receive these grants, recipients must submit a plan for conducting the audit and estimate the number of samples involved. The bill also mandates the Attorney General to establish a Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry, which will track information about these pending evidence samples, including their status in the testing and processing pipeline. Furthermore, the Attorney General will develop and distribute a report outlining best practices for law enforcement and other relevant agencies regarding the testing and use of DNA evidence from sexual assault cases, with Congress encouraging the adoption of these best practices. The Registry will include details like the date of the assault, location, collection date, and the progression of the sample through the forensic process, but will exclude personally identifiable information to protect privacy.
Committee Categories
Justice, Military Affairs and Security
Sponsors (37)
Robert Aderholt (R),
Roscoe Bartlett (R),
Leonard Boswell (D),
Robert Brady (D),
Lois Capps (D),
Steve Cohen (D),
Gerry Connolly (D),
Jim Costa (D),
Susan Davis (D),
Diana DeGette (D),
Theodore Deutch (D),
Mario Diaz-Balart (R),
Jo Emerson (R),
Eliot Engel (D),
Michael Fitzpatrick (R),
Raúl Grijalva (D),
Dale Kildee (D),
Tom Latham (R),
Nita Lowey (D),
Carolyn Maloney (D),
Gwen Moore (D),
James Moran (D),
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D),
John Olver (D),
Todd Platts (R),
Ted Poe (R),
David Reichert (R),
Laura Richardson (D),
Thomas Rooney (R),
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D),
Jan Schakowsky (D),
Aaron Schock (R),
Fortney Stark (D),
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D),
Henry Waxman (D),
Allen West (R),
David Wu (D),
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (on 07/11/2011)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location | Created |
|---|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/1523/all-info | 04/25/2013 |
| BillText | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1523ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr1523ih.pdf | 04/26/2013 |
| Bill | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1523ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr1523ih.pdf.pdf | 02/03/2013 |
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