Grassley and Al Franken working together.

[progressoid]

WASHINGTON — Senator Chuck Grassley this week introduced the Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act of 2011, along with Senator Al Franken of Minn., to help clear the backlog of untested rape kits around the country. Senators Dianne Feinstein of Calif., Michael Bennet of Colo., Richard Burr of N.C., Bernie Sanders of Vt., and Bob Casey of Pa, also cosponsored the bill.

“There’s a problem when rape kits sit on shelves for years at a time, while perpetrators roam the streets potentially harming others,” Grassley said. “The delays we’re seeing are unacceptable, so we’re working to end the backlog and help victims of sexual assault find justice in a timely manner.”

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The Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act of 2011 would also prohibit the current practice—permitted by federal law—that allows jurisdictions to bill rape victims and then force victims to seek reimbursement from state crime victims’ funds. It would also require jurisdictions receiving Debbie Smith funds to report backlog levels to the Department of Justice and specify how much of their Debbie Smith grant funds have been used to analyze DNA from sexual assault cases

http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=225772


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Grassley has teamed up with Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to author legislation to require state and local governments receiving federal grant money to test backlogged DNA samples in sexual assault cases and report how the funds are being spent.

“What we want to do is make the local police more responsible,” Grassley told The World-Herald. “They are getting this federal money. ... We are going to make them report regularly how the backlog is going down.”

Agencies nationwide have faced backlogs in DNA testing, although officials with both the Nebraska and Iowa state crime labs say they currently do not have the backlogs seen elsewhere.

At the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation lab in Ankeny, turnaround time is about 60 days, said Paul Bush, the lab’s DNA section supervisor.

http://www.southwestiowanews.com/articles/2011/02/11/around_the_region/doc4d556b45e3606092767780.txt