05/14/2024 10:00 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 275                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to sexual assault examination kits;                                                                       
     establishing   the  sexual   assault  examination   kit                                                                    
     tracking system; and providing for an effective date."                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster asked  to hear  a brief  recap of  the bill                                                                    
from the Department of Public Safety (DPS).                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:45:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LISA  PURINTON, DIRECTOR,  DIVISION  OF STATEWIDE  SERVICES,                                                                    
AND  LEGISLATIVE  LIAISON,   DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  SAFETY,                                                                    
reviewed that  HB 275 was  a victim centric bill  that added                                                                    
transparency  for the  victims needing  to undergo  a sexual                                                                    
assault examination  kit. The bill  allowed victims  to have                                                                    
access  to an  application maintained  by DPS  in order  for                                                                    
them  to see  the status  of  the kit  at any  stage in  the                                                                    
process  from the  time the  medical provider  processed the                                                                    
kit to the  time law enforcement collected it  and turned it                                                                    
into  the state  crime  lab  to the  time  the  lab took  to                                                                    
complete the  testing. The bill  amended the  crime victim's                                                                    
right  statute by  codifying  in law  that  victims had  the                                                                    
right to view the information for the sexual assault kits.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson MOVED  to ADOPT  Amendment 1,  33-                                                                    
GH2317\B.2 (C. Radford, 5/9/24) (copy on file):                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 27"                                                                                                           
     Delete "seven"                                                                                                             
     Insert "14"                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stapp OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Josephson explained  that the amendment would                                                                    
change the  timeframe in which  gathered evidence was  to be                                                                    
forwarded  to the  appropriate law  enforcement agency  from                                                                    
seven to 14  days. He detailed that the  committee had heard                                                                    
testimony about  the practicality  of meeting  the seven-day                                                                    
timeline.  The amendment  was consistent  with the  Senate's                                                                    
version of the bill.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster asked if Ms.  Purinton or another individual                                                                    
had suggested the change may be a good one.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Purinton responded that the  14-day change had been made                                                                    
to  the companion  version  of  the bill,  SB  193, and  the                                                                    
department had  no objections to  the change.  The intention                                                                    
of the  bill was  not meant  to penalize,  it was  to ensure                                                                    
that each step of the  process had a definitive timeline for                                                                    
standards to meet.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stapp WITHDREW the OBJECTION.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There being NO further OBJECTION, Amendment 1 was ADOPTED.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster noted  that  the  committee had  previously                                                                    
reviewed  the fiscal  note and  taken  public testimony.  He                                                                    
asked for any further comments from the department.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Purinton replied  that the  department appreciated  the                                                                    
committee's work and support.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Stapp  MOVED to  REPORT CSHB 275(FIN)  out of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, CSHB  275(FIN) was REPORTED out of                                                                    
committee with  nine "do pass" recommendations  and with one                                                                    
previously published fiscal impact note: FN2 (DPS).                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:50:05 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:51:36 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED