Bills to assist sexual assault victims sent to House

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate unanimously approved two bills this week to help victims of sexual assault.  Senate Bill 654 would create the Joint Legislative Task Force on Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) in an effort to get more rape kits tested annually and reduce the number of sexual assaults statewide.  SB 208 would create the Sexual Assault Victims’ Rights to Information Act to ensure victims are kept up-to-date on their cases and made aware of their rights.  Sen. Kay Floyd is the author of both measures.
          “Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of rape and attempted rape in the nation but our state has no law requiring the tracking and testing of rape kits and that has to change,” said Floyd, D-Oklahoma City.  “We have to make sure that all kits are tested and that DNA collected.  Being that most rapists will commit multiple crimes, usually until they’re caught, having that DNA evidence on file could lead to more solved crimes and prevent future sexual assaults.”
          The task force would examine and identify the process for gathering and analyzing rape kits; the number of untested kits in the possession of each law enforcement agency by means of agency audits; and improvements for law enforcement training on responding and investigating sexual assaults.  They will also look at improvements for victim access to evidence other than the rape kits like police reports and other physical evidence; procedures for the testing of anonymous kits; additional rights of victims concerning the rape kit process; and finally find and apply for grants and other funding sources in order to eliminate the backlog of untested kits, reduce testing wait times, provide victim notification and improve efficiencies in the kit testing process. 
          According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), there were nearly 15,000 reported rapes made in Oklahoma between 2006 and 2015.   
          “More than 1,900 rapes were reported in Oklahoma in 2015 alone.  We can’t turn our backs on these mothers, daughters, sons and brothers,” said Floyd.  “They deserve for their evidence to be tested in a timely manner and to have closure long before the seven-year statute of limitation runs out on their case.”
          According to the State Department of Health, Oklahoma’s rate of rape and attempted rape was anywhere from 33 to 84 percent higher than the national average between 2006 and 2015.  In 2006,

(MORE)

Oklahoma’s rate was 33 percent higher than the national average while in 2014, Oklahoma’s rate was 84 percent higher. 
            Under SB 654, each law enforcement agency would be required to submit to the Attorney General and the 17-member task force a report with their audit results including the number of untested kits in their possession.  During the statewide audit, all rape kits would have to be preserved until the task force concluded their study and gave written permission that the kits could be disposed of. 
            The two bills now move to the House for further consideration.