{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://titus.house.gov/press-releases/rep-titus-announces-19-million-to-reduce-sexual-assault-kit-backlog", "Rep. Titus Announces $1.9 Million to Reduce Sexual Assault Kit Backlog", "2016-10-06", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "NV", "Dina Titus", "T000468", "titus.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 6, 2016\nWashington, D.C.\u2014Today Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada\u2019s First Congressional District announced that the Department of Justice has awarded the Nevada Attorney General\u2019s Office a $1,962,414 grant to continue the state\u2019s participation in the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).\nThe state will use the funds to enhance and expand its current effort to reduce the sexual assault kit backlog in Nevada. The grant will increase resources for investigators and prosecutors, provide a statewide assessment of current policies to prevent future backlogs, and create new training programs for law enforcement. The funds will be used to hire a Sexual Assault Resource Prosecutor, a victim advocate, and other personnel.\n\u201cThis effort shows sexual assault victims that law enforcement is working to bring them justice,\u201d Rep. Titus said. \u201cI applaud the DOJ for continuing to provide the state these much needed resources for addressing the current backlog and building a better community response system for the future. Justice for victims cannot wait while kits remain on a shelf.\u201d\nBACKGROUND:\nIn 2015, the state received a similar award from the DOJ to inventory and test backlogged kits and fund supportive victim services and investigative functions within the jurisdiction of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Crime Lab in Southern Nevada. Nevada will use this award to expand its SAKI program to effectively resolve the statewide issue of untested sexual assault kits. The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) was established by the Obama Administration in the President\u2019s 2015 Budget Request. That year, Congress funded the grant program at $41 million. The SAKI is funded with appropriations for programs at the Department of Justice under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which was modernized and reauthorized by Rep. Titus and her colleagues in 2013 by a vote of 286-138.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://titus.house.gov/press-releases/rep-titus-announces-19-million-to-reduce-sexual-assault-kit-backlog"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.908426009118557, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}