Mississippi has achieved three of the six pillars of rape kit reform: testing newly collected kits, statewide tracking system, and victims' rights.
Statewide Inventory
No, the state has not carried out an inventory.
Is the inventory recurring?
n/a
Are law enforcement agencies and/or labs required to participate in the inventory?
n/a
Does the law require to document the date of when each kit was collected?
n/a
Does the law require a reason to be given as to why the kit was not submitted to a crime lab for testing?
n/a
Does the law require untested kits to be counted?
n/a
Test Backlogged Kits
No, the state has not committed to testing its backlogged kits.
Does the law require law enforcement to submit all untested kits, including those past the statute of limitation, within a certain deadline?
n/a
Does the law set a deadline for the crime laboratory to complete analysis once a kit has been submitted to the lab?
n/a
Does the law require kits past the statute of limitations to be sent in for testing?
n/a
Does the law allow public crime labs to outsource unsubmitted kits?
n/a
Test New Kits
Yes, the state has not mandated testing.
According to the law, how much time after a rape kit examination do hospitals have to notify law enforcement that a kit is ready to be picked up?
4 Hours
According to the law, after being notified, within what time frame is law enforcement required to pick up the kit?
1 Day
According to the law, after picking the kit up, within what time frame is law enforcement required to submit the kit to the lab?
7 Days
According to the law, after receiving the kit, within what time frame is the lab required to test the kit?
45 Days
Does the law allow crime labs to outsource kits for testing if they are unable to meet the deadline?
Yes
Implement Tracking System
Yes, tracking system in use.
Mississippi established a rape kit tracking system through non-legislative means.
Victim's Right To Know
Yes, the state has granted victims the right to notice and be informed on the status of their kit.
Do victims have the right to receive information of the location, testing date, and testing results of their kit?
Yes
Do victims have the right to be informed when there is any change in the status of their case?
No
Do victims have the right to receive notification before destruction of their kit?
Yes
Are victims granted further preservation of the kit or its probative contents?
Yes
Are victims provided with the contact information for the designated liaison(s) at the corresponding law enforcement agency at the time that a kit is collected?
No
Do victims have the right to receive a physical document identifying their rights under law?
No
Fund Reform
No, the state has not allocated any of its own funds towards reform.
n/a
Take Action Today to Bring Further Rape Kit Reform to Mississippi
In 2025, legislators in Mississippi enacted SB2211, granting victims the right to receive a physical document identifying their rights under law and at least 60 days notice before the destruction of their kits. The new law also mandates hospitals to conduct rape kits.
In 2025, legislators in Mississippi introduced HB863, which would grant victims the right to receive a physical document identifying their rights under law and at least 60 days notice before the destruction of their kits. This bill failed to pass.
In April 2023, Mississippi enacted HB485, establishing rape kit handling timelines. Under the new law, hospitals are required to notify police within four hours of a rape kit examination; law enforcement are mandated to pick up the kit within 24 hours of notification and submit it to the lab within 7 days; and the forensic lab is required to test the kit within 45 days. The forensic lab is permitted to outsource kits to private DNA labs for testing. The new law also grants victims the right to know the status and location of their kit. Finally, the state forensic lab must study the feasibility of implementing a statewide rape kit tracking system.
HB672 requires medical facilities to notify law enforcement agencies within 24 hours; law enforcement to submit the kit to a crime lab within 7 days; the lab to test kits within 15 days and upload DNA profile into CODIS within 60 days. After passing both houses, this bill failed in the conference committee.
HB1079 requires medical facilities to notify law enforcement agencies within 30 days and labs to test kits within 120 days. The bill also requires, upon the victim’s request, law enforcement to notify the victim of status within 30 days of request. Victim also has the right to know whether a DNA profile was created and uploaded into databases, if there are any matches, and any destruction 20 days prior. This bill failed to pass.
In 2021, Mississippi legislators introduced HB670, which would have required medical facilities to send kits to crime laboratories within 30 days, and the labs to test kits within 120 days. The bill also would have granted survivors the right to be notified of kit results, and before destruction of a kit. This bill died in the House Judiciary Committee.
In 2020, Mississippi representatives introduced HB1385, a bipartisan bill that would have mandated kit testing and submission timelines, granted survivors the right to notification on the status of their kits, and extended kit retention time to 20 years. The bill failed in the House Judiciary Committee.
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded the city of Jackson $1,179,593 to test kits, investigate and prosecute cases, and re-engage survivors.
In 2019, Mississippi legislators introduced HB460, which would have required the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory to test kits and upload any resulting DNA profiles into the national DNA database within 120 days of initial receipt, or to send the kit to another crime lab for processing within 30 days of receipt. HB460 would also have directed law enforcement to inform the survivor of the status of their kit upon request, within 30 days. Survivors would also have been granted the right to be informed if a DNA profile was obtained from DNA analysis, there was a DNA match in the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory DNA database, or if law enforcement did not receive DNA analysis of the kit within six months. If law enforcement intended to destroy the kit, the survivor would have been given notification within 60 days of destruction. The bill would also have extended the rape kit storage period to 20 years, or if the survivor was a minor, until the survivor’s 40th birthday. Lastly, the bill would have prohibited hospitals from charging survivors for their rape kits. This bill failed to pass.
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice awarded the Gautier Police Department $21,478 to develop an electronic evidence tracking system for rape kits.
In 2015, The Accountability Project issued an open records request to bring the number of untested kits in Jackson to light. The Jackson Police Department reported to us that they had “used” 1,498 kits between 2004 and 2014. It is unclear what “used” means and we have not been able to obtain an explanation. The Jackson Police Department has not fully responded to our records request.
Accountability
We have issued public records requests, through the Freedom of Information Act, to the following jurisdictions in Mississippi to discover whether they possess any untested rape kits.
For Immediate Release: February 21, 2023Contact: Olivia Hall, media@endthebacklog.org NEW YORK – This month in Mississippi, HB485 and HB995, bills that would enact sweeping, survivor-centered criminal justice reform, have passed the house unanimously. HB485 would mandate the timely submission and testing of sexual assault evidence kits, examine creating a rape kit tracking system to increase […]
As the state legislative sessions are ending or paused for a summer break, we look back at our achievements this year. 29 states and Puerto Rico introduced 50 bills related to our six pillars of comprehensive sexual assault kit reform. Out of these, 12 states passed 15 laws. This year, Mississippi enacted its first ever […]
In the 2022 session, we rebuilt our website endthebacklog.org, wrote an academic book chapter and “The State of the Backlog” report, while successfully advocating for rape kit reform across the country. “The State of the Backlog” report provides a birds-eye view of rape kit reform field, focusing on what we have started, where we have […]
