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Donald Trump Signs Law to End Rape Kit Testing Backlog

By Daniel M

January 02, 2020

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed legislation aimed at ending the backlog of rape kits nationwide.

Presently, at least 100,000 rape kits are untested in the U.S. and are likely to remain so without adequate funding to test DNA in a timely fashion.

The Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2019, named in honor of a 1989 rape victim whose evidence went untested until 1994, will help fund DNA test training as well as education programs. The law will also fund the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Grant Program.