Support LD549
Support LD549
The Issue
To the Honorable Members of the Maine Legislature,
We strongly support LD549 / SP199, sponsored by Rep. Valli Geiger and Sen. Richard Bennett. This legislation is an important step toward amending state law to effectively address the rape kit backlog and other issues related to rape kit handling processes in the state.
Every year, there are more than 400 reported rapes in Maine (per FBI crime reports), as well as more than 3,500 calls to the state sexual assault hotline. After a sexual assault, a victim may choose to undergo a four-to-six-hour medical forensic exam to collect DNA evidence in what is commonly called a “rape kit.” Survivors who go through this exhaustive exam expect their rape kits to be tested. However, most survivors are never contacted about the status of their kit, which can severely hinder recovery. Currently, only about 20% of rape kits in Maine get sent to the crime lab for testing. Without a thorough, statewide inventory of rape kits, it is hard to assess whether these crucial pieces of evidence are being handled properly.
LD549 would require an annual statewide inventory of rape kits, mandatory testing of all newly collected and backlogged rape kits, and establishment of a system to track the initial collection of kits at the hospitals, their inventory and storage by law enforcement, their testing and storage by state labs, and their eventual destruction. The bill would allow all agencies who participate in the tracking system to update the status of a kit and would mandate their participation. The bill would also require an anonymous victim portal on the tracking system where survivors can check information about their rape kits at their own pace.
Passing LD549 sends a message to survivors that their cases matter and to perpetrators that law enforcement will employ every available tool to apprehend and prosecute them. To avoid serial offenders, we must create statewide measures to track rape kit evidence. We urge you to support this legislation to protect the safety and rights of those survivors.
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The Issue
To the Honorable Members of the Maine Legislature,
We strongly support LD549 / SP199, sponsored by Rep. Valli Geiger and Sen. Richard Bennett. This legislation is an important step toward amending state law to effectively address the rape kit backlog and other issues related to rape kit handling processes in the state.
Every year, there are more than 400 reported rapes in Maine (per FBI crime reports), as well as more than 3,500 calls to the state sexual assault hotline. After a sexual assault, a victim may choose to undergo a four-to-six-hour medical forensic exam to collect DNA evidence in what is commonly called a “rape kit.” Survivors who go through this exhaustive exam expect their rape kits to be tested. However, most survivors are never contacted about the status of their kit, which can severely hinder recovery. Currently, only about 20% of rape kits in Maine get sent to the crime lab for testing. Without a thorough, statewide inventory of rape kits, it is hard to assess whether these crucial pieces of evidence are being handled properly.
LD549 would require an annual statewide inventory of rape kits, mandatory testing of all newly collected and backlogged rape kits, and establishment of a system to track the initial collection of kits at the hospitals, their inventory and storage by law enforcement, their testing and storage by state labs, and their eventual destruction. The bill would allow all agencies who participate in the tracking system to update the status of a kit and would mandate their participation. The bill would also require an anonymous victim portal on the tracking system where survivors can check information about their rape kits at their own pace.
Passing LD549 sends a message to survivors that their cases matter and to perpetrators that law enforcement will employ every available tool to apprehend and prosecute them. To avoid serial offenders, we must create statewide measures to track rape kit evidence. We urge you to support this legislation to protect the safety and rights of those survivors.
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Petition created on April 10, 2025