Bill > HR83

This Resolution urges all law enforcement agencies to follow the guidelines developed by the Malama Kakou Project, a state plan to reform the testing of sexual assault evidence collection kits, which includes criteria for testing and a priority order for kits. It also requires agencies to submit requests for testing to accredited laboratories within ninety days of receiving a kit and to follow up for results within another ninety days. Furthermore, the Department of the Attorney General is mandated to submit an annual report to the Legislature detailing the number of sexual assault evidence collection kits collected, tested, not tested, and destroyed by each county and law enforcement agency in the preceding year, starting with the 2018 legislative session. This initiative stems from a previous law that revealed a significant backlog of untested kits, highlighting the need for standardized procedures and accountability in processing this crucial evidence.