DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa would have a better grasp of how many untested rape kits may be languishing at law enforcement agencies around the state under a bill advancing through the Legislature.
The Iowa attorney general's office recently released a survey to authorities to count any backlogs of untested sexual abuse evidence collection kits. They're using a $2 million federal grant to get a scope of the issue and to test as many kits as possible.
The House Public Safety Committee voted unanimously Wednesday for legislation that would require authorities to respond to the electronic survey. The bill now heads to the full House.
Multiple states have focused in recent years on untested rape kits. The federal government pledged at least $40 million last year to address the issue.
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