MaineAn Act To Establish A Statewide Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Kit Tracking System And Update Certain Requirements Regarding Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Kits
The proposed amendment would have the Department of Public Safety track all completed sexual assault kits and let survivors check a kit’s status anonymously.
What it does
The Department of Public Safety would track every completed sexual assault examination kit, whether or not the survivor reports the assault. Survivors could check a kit’s status anonymously and securely.
A crime lab would have to analyze kits completed after January 1, 2027, if the survivor reports the alleged assault by the end of the kit’s storage period.
Agencies holding sexual assault kits would count them and report the results to the Department of Public Safety by June 1, 2026. The department would publish a statewide report by January 1, 2027.
Argument forSurvivors could check a kit’s status anonymously, while approved providers and agencies update its location.
Argument againstLocal governments could face added costs for carrying out the measure because it does not fund at least 90% of those costs.
More detail
The Department of Public Safety would operate a system to track completed sexual assault examination kits. The system would cover all completed kits, whether or not the alleged assault was reported. The system would be available to approved users, including hospitals and health care providers that perform these examinations. The system and its information would be confidential. Survivors could access it anonymously and securely.
A crime lab would have to analyze certain completed kits. This would apply to kits completed after January 1, 2027, when the survivor reports the alleged sexual assault within the stated period. The survivor must report the alleged assault either by the time the examination is complete or during the kit’s storage period. Analysis would follow the crime lab’s practices and procedures. The analysis requirement would apply to kits completed after January 1, 2027.
Law enforcement agencies would inventory sexual assault kits they hold and report the results to the Department of Public Safety. The duty would cover agencies that receive, maintain, store, or preserve sexual assault examination kits. The inventory would count kits by year and agency, including whether reported kits have been analyzed. The department would combine the agency findings, report them to a legislative committee, and post the report publicly. Agencies would complete the inventory by June 1, 2026; the department would report and post the combined results by January 1, 2027.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Became Law
- Died
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 29Died in Possession of the Senate when the Legislature adjourned Sine Die and was PLACED IN THE LEGISLATIVE FILES. (DEAD)Died
- 2025
- Jun 25CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 800.
- Vote recorded SUSPEND RULES (2/3). Result: fail.Upper
- Jun 18On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending ENACTMENT - Emergency -2/3 Elected Required in concurrence.
- Jun 18Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Jun 18PASSED TO BE ENACTED.Became Law
- Jun 18In accordance with the provisions of Section 21 of Article IX of the Constitution, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.
- Jun 17Reported Out - OTP-AM/OTP-AM
- Jun 17In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Jun 17The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "B" (S-429).Minor
- Jun 17Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- Jun 17Committee Amendment "B" (S-429) was READ and ADOPTED.Minor
- Jun 17The Bill was READ ONCE.Minor
- Jun 17On motion of Representative KUHN of Falmouth, the Minority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.
- Jun 17Reports READ.
- Jun 17Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence
- Jun 17Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "B" (S-429)Minor
- Jun 17Committee Amendment "B" (S-429) READ and ADOPTEDMinor
- Jun 17Bill READ ONCEMinor
- Jun 17On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland the Minority Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee Amendment "B" (S-429) Report ACCEPTED.
- Jun 17Reports Read
- May 29Voted - Divided Report
- May 29Work Session Reconsidered
- May 21Voted - OTP-AM
- May 21Work Session Reconsidered
- Mar 21CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519.
- Mar 5Voted - OTP-AM
- Mar 5Work Session Held
- Feb 11In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Feb 11The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY.Minor
- Feb 11Committee on JUDICIARY suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on JUDICIARY Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrenceIntroduced
- Jun 25CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 800.
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