Reform status across the U.S. Credit: Joyful Heart
In 2023, the Joyful Heart Foundation continued advocacy efforts in 20 states.
Last year, a total of 29 states and Puerto Rico introduced 58 bills aligned with Joyful Heart’s six pillars of legislative reform to count, test, and track rape kits, and grant rights to survivors. Out of these, 20 states successfully passed 26 laws. The legislative victories extended access to justice and healing for more than 66,000 survivors of reported sexual assault every year and impacted 200 million Americans.
As of December 2023, 19 states and Washington, D.C. have achieved all six pillars of reform, with 12 states requiring one more pillar for full reform. Every year, there are more than 66,500 reported rapes in these 19 states. These laws impact 145.6 million people by ensuring rights for survivors of sexual assault, increasing the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, and making their communities safer.
These victories drive us to continue our pursuit of comprehensive rape kit reform in all 50 states. Out of 300 pillars, we have helped the country adopt 228 pillars, which means we have 72 pillars left to enact! Our Policy and Advocacy team works daily to ensure implementation of all adopted reforms.
Advocacy successes
Last year brought significant steps forward. It was a banner year for the Southern States, which took the lead in spearheading rape kit reform efforts. Mississippi passed its first pillars: mandatory testing of newly collected kits and victims’ right to know the status of their kit laws. Louisiana passed a tracking system bill. Alabama passed an inventory bill, and thus will count its untested kits for the first time ever. Colorado enacted a tracking system law, joining the list of full reform states.
California passed a second inventory bill to complement the earlier incomplete one passed in 2018. Georgia allocated state funds for rape kits for the first time, while Maryland codified its tracking system into law. Ohio instated a recurring inventory and granted victims the right to know the status and location of their kits. Wisconsin mandated a six-month lab testing timeline for rape kits.
North Dakota announced ending its backlog, joining 19 other states and Washington, D.C. Eighteen other states continue testing their backlogged kits. The statewide rape kit tracking system went live in Alaska. As part of our advocacy efforts, we sent letters of support for 11 bills and provided written and oral testimony via phone, video conference, or in-person for 6 bills. This year, these states improved their rape kit handling via legislation:
- Alabama, Arkansas, California, Ohio, and Washington enacted first time or additional inventory laws.
- Kit handling timelines for newly collected kits were established or improved in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Wisconsin.
- Tracking systems are now required in Colorado and Louisiana, while Maryland codified its kits tracking system into law.
- Victims are granted the right to know the status of their kits, or have extended rights in Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, and Texas.
- First time or additional funding for rape kit reform was allocated in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, and Texas.
What's next in 2024?
In 2024, Joyful Heart will continue to focus on Maine, as well as other states in need of further reform, including Arizona, Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, and New York. In January, the foundation began in earnest, informing reform bills such as extending rape kit storage in Iowa and Mississippi, victims’ rights and new kit testing in Louisiana, and codifying the tracking system in Alaska and Pennsylvania.
A new initiative by Joyful Heart’s Policy and Advocacy (PA) team will leverage company expertise to combat the rise of image-based abuse, starting with a bill in Rhode Island. Though the backlog still exists, and even more forms of abuse are emerging, the Joyful Heart PA team is steadfast in their resolve to support survivors through policies that grant every survivor the option to take legal action against their abusers.
Republished courtesy of Joyful Heart Foundation.