releases: https://poe.house.gov/2017/12/poe-and-cornyn-applaud-house-passage-of-safer-move-to-fight-nationwide-rape-kit-backlog
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://poe.house.gov/2017/12/poe-and-cornyn-applaud-house-passage-of-safer-move-to-fight-nationwide-rape-kit-backlog | POE AND CORNYN APPLAUD HOUSE PASSAGE OF SAFER, MOVE TO FIGHT NATIONWIDE RAPE KIT BACKLOG | 2017-12-21 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Republican | House | TX | Ted Poe | P000592 | poe.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today,Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX)and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the followingstatementsapplauding the Housespassage of the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting (SAFER) Act. Unfortunately, thousands ofrape victims across the country are denied justice each day, saidCongressman Poe. For many, rape is a fate worse than death- a victim relives their trauma over and over again. In 2015, the DOJ estimatedthatthere were as many of 4000,000 untested rape kits in the United States. This backlog forces a victim's hand, leaving them unable to produce evidence and pursue justice against their attacker. In 2013, Senator Cornyn and I acted tofix this, introducing SAFER toreduce the number of untested rape kits by allocating already existing funding and resources to states and localities to audit their rape kit backlog. I urge the President to quickly reauthorize SAFER and protect victims of crime, giving victims the justice they deserve. The SAFER Act also ensures pediatric forensic nurses are eligible for training, which addresses the need for pediatric sexual assault nurse examiners in responding to children suffering from abuse. This bill is critical to ensuring law enforcement has the resources they need to finally get justice for victims who often have waited far too long, said Sen. Cornyn. I commend the House for taking action on this vital program before it expires, and I look forward to the President signing it into law. Background: Congressman Poe and Senator Cornynsponsoredthe Sexual Assault Forensic Reporting Act,2013 legislationcreating the SAFERprogram,which has helped law enforcement reduce the rape kit backlog through existing funds under the Debbie Smith Act.Now law, SAFERincreasedthe money that would bespent on untestedrapekits by 35 percent andmandated that5-7 percent be used for SAFER program audits. It helps state and local law enforcement agencies address both the laboratory and storage backlogs by providing funding to conduct one-year audits of untested sexual assault evidence, which has uncovered tens of thousands of untested rape kitsthat siton shelves and in labs across the nation. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |