Austin News

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have announced the passage of legislation to reauthorize the Debbie Smith Act, aimed at providing state and local law enforcement agencies with resources to complete forensic analyses of crime scenes and untested rape kits. The bill has passed the Senate and now awaits the President's signature.

“Examining DNA evidence is a critical step in achieving justice for sexual assault survivors, but many law enforcement agencies don’t have the resources to work through the rape kit backlog in a timely manner,” stated Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation will empower law enforcement to solve these heinous crimes and give survivors the closure they deserve, and I urge the President to sign it as soon as possible.”

Sen. Klobuchar added, “As a former prosecutor, I know firsthand that behind every unprocessed rape kit is a victim of sexual assault wondering if they will ever see justice. By reauthorizing the critical Debbie Smith Act, our legislation will provide law enforcement officers with additional resources to process untested rape kits and other DNA evidence, helping them bring more criminals to justice.”

The bill was initially introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who collaborated with Sen. Cornyn after leading efforts for its reauthorization in 2019. Co-sponsors include Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Kennedy (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

In the House, Representatives Ann Wagner (MO-02), Wesley Hunt (TX-38), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), and Ben Cline (VA-06) introduced similar legislation, which passed last year.

The Debbie Smith Act was first signed into law in 2004 to address backlogs of untested DNA evidence from unsolved crimes by providing necessary resources to local and state crime laboratories. Since its enactment, over 860,000 DNA cases have been processed. The funds are also used for processing offender DNA samples to match against databases of known offenders.

The legislation has received endorsements from various organizations including Debbie Smith herself, Fraternal Order of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, National District Attorneys Association, Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations, Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), and Joyful Heart Foundation.