In 2023, we continued our advocacy efforts in 20 states, won a Webby for our redesigned website, and organized and attended in-person events. Our months of work last year rebuilding our campaign website, EndtheBacklog.org won the People’s Voice Webby in the law category. Many thanks to all of our followers for voting and supporting our work.
This year, a total of 29 states and Puerto Rico introduced 58 bills aligned with Joyful Heart’s six pillars of legislative reform to count, test, and track rape kits, and grant rights to survivors. Out of these, 20 states successfully passed 26 laws. The legislative victories extended access to justice and healing for more than 66,000 survivors of reported sexual assault every year and impacted 200 million Americans.
As of December 2023, 19 states and Washington, D.C. have achieved all six pillars of reform, with 12 states requiring one more pillar for full reform. Every year, there are more than 66,500 reported rapes in these 19 states. These laws impact 145.6 million people by ensuring rights for survivors of sexual assault, increasing the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, and making their communities safer.
These victories drive us to continue our pursuit of comprehensive rape kit reform in all 50 states. Out of 300 pillars, we have helped the country adopt 228 pillars, which means we have 72 pillars left to enact! Our Policy and Advocacy team works daily to ensure implementation of all adopted reforms.
Advocacy Successes
2023 brought significant steps forward in 20 states. It was a banner year for the Southern States, which took the lead in spearheading rape kit reform efforts. Mississippi passed its first pillars: mandatory testing of newly collected kits and victims’ right to know the status of their kit laws. Louisiana passed a tracking system bill. Alabama passed an inventory bill, and thus will count its untested kits for the first time ever. Colorado enacted a tracking system law, joining the list of full reform states.
California passed a second inventory bill to complement the earlier incomplete one passed in 2018. Georgia allocated state funds for rape kits for the first time, while Maryland codified its tracking system into law. Ohio instated a recurring inventory and granted victims the right to know the status and location of their kits. Wisconsin mandated a six-month lab testing timeline for rape kits.
North Dakota announced ending its backlog, joining 19 other states and Washington, D.C. Eighteen other states continue testing their backlogged kits. The statewide rape kit tracking system went live in Alaska. As part of our advocacy efforts, we sent letters of support for 11 bills and provided written and oral testimony via phone, video conference, or in-person for 6 bills. This year, these states improved their rape kit handling via legislation:
- Alabama, Arkansas, California, Ohio, and Washington enacted first time or additional inventory laws.
- Kit handling timelines for newly collected kits were established or improved in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Wisconsin.
- Tracking systems are now required in Colorado and Louisiana, while Maryland codified its kits tracking system into law.
- Victims are granted the right to know the status of their kits, or have extended rights in Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, and Texas.
- First time or additional funding for rape kit reform was allocated in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, and Texas.
Events
With our success in Mississippi, Maine stands as the only state without any rape kit reform. Joyful Heart supported the efforts of local advocates, prosecutors, SANEs, lab personnel, and law enforcement in their push for reform in the state by helping to organize a well-attended two-day event in Portland, ME in October with around 200 attendees. We held a screening of the Emmy winning documentary, I Am Evidence, followed by a panel discussion with our Director of Policy, Ilse Knecht, board member, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, trauma expert Dr. Rebecca Campbell, and Cuyahoga County Investigator, Nicole DiSanto. The event continued the following day with a training session that focused on neurobiology of trauma, as well as investigation and prosecution of cold cases. Thanks to the UNE Nursing School and our local partners for hosting the events.
In late Winter, our Director of Policy, Ilse Knecht was a panelist at a screening of the new documentary, “This Is Where I Learned Not To Sleep”. The event was attended by about 100 students and faculty and the after film discussion was focused on reforming the police response to GBV.
We were also at the press conference on October 6 to let New Yorkers know that the Adult Survivor Act’s one-year lookback window was drawing to a close. We were part of a larger coalition of survivors, advocates, and nonprofits to pass the law in 2022, under which Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Russell Brand, former Columbia University OB-GYN Robert Hadden, and other people have been civilly sued for sexual violence years after the alleged offenses.
What’s next in 2024?
In 2024, we will continue our focus on Maine, as well as other states in need of further reform, including Arizona, Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, and New York . In January of 2024, we began in earnest, informing reform bills such as extending rape kit storage in Iowa and Mississippi, victims’ rights and new kit testing in Louisiana, and codifying the tracking system in Alaska and Pennsylvania.
In a new initiative by Joyful Heart’s Policy and Advocacy (PA) team, we will leverage our expertise to combat the rise of image-based abuse, starting with a bill in Rhode Island. Though the backlog still exists, and even more forms of abuse are emerging, the Joyful Heart PA team is steadfast in their resolve to support survivors through policies that grant every survivor the option to take legal action against their abusers.
We extend heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated supporters for their persistent calls, emails, and social media engagement with legislators. Your support significantly contributes to our advocacy victories nationwide. We are gearing up for the next session to further advance comprehensive rape kit reform across more states.