Gov. Polis signs bill meant to help Colorado tackle sexual assault kit backlog
Police evidence bag containing DNA swabs. (Tek Image/Science Photo Library via Getty Images)
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Tuesday intended to improve to the Colorado Bureau of Investigations' capacity to review sexual assault kits, which include DNA samples and other evidence from survivors.
Senate Bill 25-304 establishes the Colorado Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Evidence Review Board, which will review the effectiveness of the state's medical, legal and criminal response to sexual assault and make victim-centered recommendations to the Colorado Legislature.
The governor and attorney general have until Aug. 1 to appoint members of the board, including representatives from state agencies and various organizations that advocate for sexual assault victims. The board will need to submit a preliminary report to the Legislature by Dec. 15.
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Law enforcement agencies overseeing sexual assault criminal cases will be required to update victims on the status of their kit every 90 days. The bill also sets a 60-day turnaround goal for crime labs reviewing forensic medical evidence from sexual assault kits. The agency's current goal is 90 days, which it expects to achieve in 2027. The estimated turnaround time for kits at the end of April was about a year and a half, with 1,369 kits in the backlog, according to a recently implemented data dashboard.
Colorado's forensic services are facing a historic backlog of sexual assault kits due to reduced staff capacity and ballooning fallout from the discovery that a former CBI forensic scientist manipulated more than 1,000 DNA test results over her career. The backlog means delayed justice for survivors, as DNA evidence can often be critical for a criminal conviction.
The bill originally would have created a full-time position to oversee the state's work to improve the kit review process, but it was amended to reduce spending given the tight budget year. Sponsors include Rep. Jenny Willford, a Northglenn Democrat, Rep. Meg Froelich, an Englewood Democrat, and Sen. Mike Weissman, an Aurora Democrat.
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