West Virginia Passes Law to Mandate the Testing of all New Rape Kits

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has signed House Bill 4476 into law, which would mandate the swift testing of every rape kit in the state. The Joyful Heart Foundation, a national leader in the effort to reform rape kit policies across the country, today praised the move. The law also creates a new Sexual Assault Forensic Examination commission, which will inform future efforts.

West Virginia Takes First Step Toward Rape Kit Reform

The Joyful Heart Foundation today applauded the signing into law of West Virginia Senate Bill 36, which amends procedures regarding DNA testing and directs the Sexual Assault Forensic Commission to establish best practice protocols for the submission, storage and disposition of rape kits. This legislation, championed by Sen. Mike Woelfel, is an important step toward comprehensive rape kit reform.