West STL News

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) issued a statement following the Senate's approval of her Debbie Smith Act, which allocates funds to law enforcement for analyzing untested rape kits. The legislation extends the DNA Backlog Elimination Program through 2029.

"Victims of sexual violence deserve the full support of law enforcement as they fight for justice. The backlog of untested rape kits nationwide is an unconscionable failure that must be immediately addressed. My Debbie Smith Act will provide essential funding so law enforcement can test rape kits and identify perpetrators so they can be put behind bars where they belong. I appreciate the Senate for unanimously passing my legislation and I hope the President quickly signs this bill into law," Wagner stated.

The Debbie Smith Act of 2023 (H.R. 1105) aims to reauthorize the DNA Backlog Elimination Program from FY2024 through FY2029. This initiative supports law enforcement and crime labs across all 50 states in analyzing untested rape and sexual assault kits, improving the timely collection of DNA evidence by law enforcement, and enhancing prosecutors' ability to bring this evidence to trial.

According to the Department of Justice, since its inception in 2004, this program has facilitated the analysis of over 1.6 million DNA cases, leading to more than 328,000 hits in the federal DNA criminal database—accounting for 47% of all DNA matches.