For Immediate Release: Tuesday June 23, 2026 Contact: Olivia Hall, media@endthebacklog.org The Joyful Heart Foundation celebrates the enactment of House Bill 239 in Alaska, which ensures the ongoing operation of the state’s rape kit tracking system and grants survivors the right to know the status of their kit. Four years in the making, this new […]
The Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organization working to end the backlog of untested rape kits nationwide, today celebrated the inclusion of rape kit reform in HB49, the omnibus criminal justice reform bill signed by Governor Mike Dunleavy.
The Joyful Heart Foundation today praised the passage of rape kit reforms in Alaska, as Governor Bill Walker signed HB 31 into law, which will require an annual inventory of untested rape kits in the state. The state’s capital budget, signed into law late last month, also included $2.75 million to test every rape kit in the state.
The Joyful Heart Foundation today applauded the passage of Alaska State Bill HB 31, which will mandate annual inventories of all untested rape kits in the state. This legislation, which was championed by State Senator Anna MacKinnon and Representative Geran Tarr, is an important step toward comprehensive rape kit reform.
The Joyful Heart Foundation applauded the Alaska state legislature’s passage of SB 55 this week, which includes a requirement that law enforcement conduct a one-time audit of untested sexual assault kits across the state. The bill also contains an important oversight provision requiring the Department of Public Safety to report the findings of the audit and develop a plan to address the backlog and prevent a future accumulation.
