Gov. Rick Scott got personal when he signed legislation to eliminate rape kit testing backlog in Florida on Thursday.
The governor recalled his own experience when his own daughter called him on the phone one weekend with some unfortunate news.
"She said, 'something very bad happened to me last night,'" Scott said. "“Nothing bad happened to her other than that she had a drug put in a drink that she was drinking, and ended up in the hospital, but that was a scary time.”
Scott explained whoever put the drug in her drink at the party was never caught, but did say he was glad his daughter only ended up in the hospital instead of being a victim of sexual assault, calling it a “scary time.”
On Thursday, Scott ceremonially signed legislation to increase funding for state crime labs so they can process crime evidence at a faster rate, cutting down on testing time for important evidence like DNA samples from rape kits.
Last year, a 10News WTSP investigation revealed thousands of rape kits had gone unprocessed for months or even years. State agencies said there was a lack of funding which was why the kits went untested.
The legislation was passed by state lawmakers this year and sets aside over $2 million for 2016 to reduce the backlog of 13,000 untested rape kits this year, with a total of $11 million thrown into the state’s budget for the 2016-2017 year.
The new law would require local police agencies 30 days to submit DNA evidence submitted from rape victims and state crime labs would have 120 days to process it.
Supporters of the legislation say it will help catch rapists and prevent future rapes. Until now, Florida has not required local law enforcement agencies to submit rape kits for testing.
“This legislation will provide thousands of women with a renewed sense of safety and closure as they heal from the horrific crime of rape,” Scott said. “I am thankful for the hard work of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Florida Legislature to make sure perpetrators are immediately brought to justice. This legislation will also help eliminate the backlog of rape testing kits in Florida and reduce future turnaround time for processing evidence.”
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen said his department would be vigilant in upholding the new law.
“FDLE is committed to providing quality forensic services within the 120 day timeframe ensuring victims receive timely results of sexual assault kits,” he said.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said the legislation was a positive move for Floridians and for victims of sexual assault.
“As a career prosecutor, I have seen first-hand the heartache caused by sexual assault, and this legislation is a significant step toward bringing more predators to justice and helping victims heal,” said Bondi.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
