Signed by Governor Josh Shapiro

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act to provide further rights to victims in Pennsylvania.

Highlights:

• Amends the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act to provide further rights to victims in Pennsylvania (Sec. 2).

• Requires that one year after this bill’s passage the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency establish and maintain a statewide tracking system for evidence collected under the sexual assault evidence collection program (Sec. 2).

• Requires the sexual assault evidence tracking system to do the following, including, but not limited to (Sec. 2):

• Be electronic and web-based;

• Be administered by the commission, with assistance from the Department of Health, Office of Attorney General, and the Pennsylvania State Police;

• Have help desk availability at all times;

• Allow the victim to opt in for automatic notification when status updates are entered into the system;

• Include at each step a brief explanation of the general purpose of that step and a general indication of the expected timeline for completion;

• A safety or escape exit that allows victims to close the tracking system on their phone quickly;

• Allow for secure access, controlled by the commission that shall restrict user access and allow different permissions based on the needs of the user;

• Provide users other than victims unique identification usernames and passwords for system access; 

• Enable sexual assault evidence to be tracked and identified through the unique rape kit identification number, bar code, or other unique identifying feature; and

• Provide the ability to record the date, time, and user identification when a user who is not the victim accesses the system; 

• That a victim's access to the system remains anonymous to all parties; and

• Provide the user with the ability to use the system in their preferred language.

• Specifies that the commission, or an entity contracted by the commission shall have the exclusive responsibility and authority to maintain and operate the system’s server (Sec. 2).

• Requires the commission to create and provide comprehensive training and tutorials to inform all users who are not victims about the tracking system's existence, the program's requirements, and the tracking system's requirements (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes victim waivers from filing application deadlines if the delay was a result of a delay in testing or a delay in DNA profile matching from, a rape kit or biological material collected as evidence related to a sexual assault (Sec. 7).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor (Sec. 7).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act to provide further rights to victims

Full Bill Text