On March 11, 2025, the Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard HB 1413 on rape kits. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Freeman and Sen. Carrasco. Rep. Cash, the author, presented the bill, which:
- establishes the rape kit backlog fund to provide funding for assisting law enforcement agencies and testing labs in eliminating the backlog of untested rape kits;
- requires the state police department to provide grants to law enforcement agencies and testing labs to help eliminate the backlog of untested rape kits and make an annual report to the general assembly; and
- requires that before January 1, 2027, every law enforcement agency and testing lab to process certain rape kits in their possession that are not completely processed as of July 1, 2025.
The Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and a member of the public testified in support of the bill.
On March 25, 2025, on hearing for amend and vote only, the Committee passed the bill 8-0 without amendment and the bill was recommitted to Senate Appropriations.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2025/bills/house/1413