NEW JERSEY – Governor Phil Murphy Thursday signed S715/A908, which requires the Office of the Attorney General to establish an internet-based rape kit tracking system.
The bill, which unanimously passed both the Senate and General Assembly before reaching the Governor’s desk, requires the Attorney General to issue guidelines or a directive establishing a sexual assault forensic evidence (SAFE) kit tracking system accessible to the victim; State, county, or municipal law enforcement officers; and, as deemed appropriate, employees of a health care facility or laboratory.
“Survivors of sexual assault who show strength and resilience in coming forward deserve recognition and support,” Murphy said. “This well overdue bill cements into law the work our Administration has undertaken to support survivors. Through the groundwork laid by the Office of the Attorney General, in collaboration with the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance, the Division of Criminal Justice, and other law enforcement officials, survivors will have access to a dedicated tracking system to stay informed through every step of their pursuit of justice.”
“In New Jersey, we understand the impact of sexual assault victimization and have been implementing survivor-centered, trauma-informed policies in response,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “In March 2023, we issued a Directive that expands the amount of time we retain SAFE kits and have since required all kits submitted to law enforcement with the survivors consent be brought to the lab for analysis. In 2023, LPS secured federal funding to create a sexual assault kit tracking system that will provide more transparency and autonomy to those who have been harmed. For more than a year, we have been coordinating with multiple State agencies to implement this system. We thank the Legislature and Governor Murphy for sharing these priorities.”
In 2023, Attorney General Platkin announced the receipt of $2 million in competitive federal funding to establish an advanced tracking system for the state’s SAFE kits.
Later that year, Attorney General Platkin issued a statewide law enforcement directive to ensure that sexual assault survivors have access to the medical, investigative, and supportive services they need and deserve, and that evidence collected in sexual assault cases is preserved and processed in a victim-centered and efficient manner.
This directive extended the required retention period for evidence, including DNA evidence, from sexual assault medical examinations from five years to 20 years; established statewide procedures and guidelines for tracking, storing, and determining how and when such evidence is submitted for testing; and mandated that all SAFE Kits provided to law enforcement with a victim’s consent be submitted to the forensic laboratory for testing.
