AUGUSTA - The Maine House of Representatives gave initial approval on Tuesday to a measure sponsored by Rep. Valli Geiger, D-Rockland, that would increase access to justice for survivors of sexual assault by establishing a statewide sexual assault forensic examination kit tracking system.
Many states have already established a tracking system, while others have passed laws that require every rape kit to be tested. Maine is currently the only state in the nation that has not passed any recommended reforms.
"When a victim decides to report an assault, they might go to a hospital and undergo a lengthy, emotionally exhausting forensic examination," said Geiger. "These sometimes hours-long ordeals result in the collection of data that often sits untested for decades because we have no testing requirements nor a system to update victims on the status of their kits. We are failing in our basic duty to keep the residents of this state safe and to hold those who commit egregious acts of sexual violence accountable."
Roughly 14,000 Mainers experience sexual violence each year, yet most sexual assaults reported to law enforcement never result in arrests. Geiger's bill would help Maine address this gap by improving rape kit testing practices. LD 2129 would bring Maine into compliance with certain standards set by the Joyful Heart Foundation, a leading national organization for sexual assault survivor advocacy.
The bill would establish a statewide inventory of untested sexual assault forensic kits that are currently held in medical facilities, crime labs and law enforcement agencies. It would also establish a mechanism for survivors to check the status of their kits, and it would require the facilities to report on the number of untested kits in their possession.
The bill faces additional votes in the House and Senate in the coming weeks.
Geiger is serving her second term in the Maine House and represents District 42, which includes Rockland, Owls Head, North Haven and part of Matinicus Isle. She is a member of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee and the Labor and Housing Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Geiger], c. 305-965-2744