Sarah Haacke Byrd testified today before the California Senate Committee on Public Safety in support of rape kit reform legislation.
Joyful Heart staff and California stakeholders have worked tirelessly in support of Senate Bill 1449, which is being heard by the Committee today. S.B. 1449 would mandate the swift submission and testing of all newly collected rape kits in California and would appropriate $2 million for local law enforcement agencies to support compliance with this new law.
“Right now in California, whether or not a rape kit gets tested depends on a survivor’s zip code. This is not acceptable. We can and must do better to bring dignity back into the process for victims across the state.”
Sarah Haacke Byrd, April 3, 2018