New York is changing how sexual assault evidence moves from hospitals to police and crime labs, aiming to close gaps that have long frustrated survivors.
State officials signed new legislation that brings hospitals directly into the sexual offense evidence kit tracking process and sets clear timelines for law enforcement to pick up and deliver kits for testing. Supporters say the changes reduce the risk that evidence gets lost, delayed, or mishandled.
The law expands New York’s Statewide Rape Kit Tracking System, which launched in 2023 and allows survivors to follow the status of their evidence. Once technical amendments are approved in the upcoming legislative session, police departments and sheriffs’ offices will have 10 days to retrieve kits from hospitals, as long as the survivor consents to release the evidence. Hospitals will also have to log kits into the electronic tracking system and notify law enforcement within 48 hours of collection.
State officials say the changes clarify responsibilities at every step, from the hospital exam room to the forensic lab. The State Division of Criminal Justice Services is overseeing development of the system, which is expected to be fully operational next spring…