Bill continuing efforts on assault evidence kits signed into law

OKLAHOMA CITY – A measure to help facilitate the processing of rape kits has been signed into law. Senate Democratic Leader Kay Floyd is the Senate principal author of Senate Bill 1000, allowing the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to inquire about the location of rape kits that have not yet been submitted to an accredited crime laboratory.

For several years, Floyd has been working with the state’s Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) Task Force, which brought stakeholders to the table, including law enforcement, prosecutors and sexual assault survivor advocates to address the state’s backlog in the testing of rape kits.

The OSBI is in charge of the chain of custody of these kits, which are provided to sexual assault nurses to collect evidence from assault survivors. The kits, which have tracking information, are then collected by law enforcement agencies who hold them until they can be sent to a lab. Floyd said SB 1000 clarifies that OSBI can inquire about a kit that has not yet been submitted after it has been used to collect evidence.

“We wanted to ensure the statutory authority for OSBI to call the law enforcement agency to inquire about the location and custody of a kit, and that the law enforcement agency can provide this information so the kits can then be processed,” said Floyd, D-Oklahoma City. “I appreciate the support of the Legislature and Governor Stitt in helping us continue the important work of the SAFE Task Force.”

Floyd also thanked Rep. Steve Bashore, House principal author of SB 1000, for his work in getting the measure signed into law.

"It's absolutely a travesty of justice that victims of sexual assault must endure long wait times in having their evidence kits tested," said Bashore, R-Miami. "This legislation will help investigators clear the backlog that exists and will assist in speedier justice moving forward."

SB 1000 will become effective on Nov. 1, 2023.

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