U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Feb. 16 introduced a bipartisan bill to reauthorize federal funding that supports the work of public crime labs to build capacity and process DNA evidence, including evidence collected in rape kits.
Specifically, S. 499 would reauthorize the Debbie Smith Act, under which the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program was created as the primary program to end the backlog of untested and unanalyzed DNA evidence. The bill is sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and 15 original cosponsors, including Sen. Blackburn and U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
“Reauthorizing the Debbie Smith Act is critical in the fight to end the rape kit backlog and keep dangerous criminals off the streets,” Sen. Blackburn said.
Last year a school teacher who was the mother of two young boys was murdered while out jogging in Memphis. Law enforcement learned during their investigation that in September 2021, the teacher’s alleged killer had raped another victim.
“The rape kit from that 2021 attack was processed and returned the same day the teacher’s body was discovered, with DNA matching that of the alleged killer,” Sen. Blackburn said. “Had it not taken a year for Memphis Police to have the kit processed by TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigations] and receive the results, this woman would be alive today because her killer would have already been behind bars.”
S. 499 has garnered support from the Fraternal Order of Police, Major Cities Chiefs, Major County Sheriffs of America, the National District Attorneys Association, the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), and the Joyful Heart Foundation.
“The Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant program has dramatically reduced the backlog of untested DNA rape kits, helping us get more dangerous predators off the streets,” said Sen. Feinstein. “The program is set to expire next year so it’s vital that Congress passes our bill to reauthorize this important program for another five years.”