U.S. House approves bill that funds testing for rape kits

WASHINGTON — Congress is on the verge of renewing expired legislation that sends resources to crime laboratories across the country to test rape kits and DNA evidence, after the House passed a bill to do so this week.

Sen. John Cornyn and advocates had blamed Democrats in control of the House for stalling and letting the Debbie Smith Act lapse. House Democrats had previously rolled it into their rewrite of the Violence Against Women Act — a much more complicated bill with a long history of getting caught up in partisan fights — while the Senate unanimously passed a standalone reauthorization of the legislation in May.

On Wednesday, the House passed a standalone version on a 402-1 vote.

“I’m glad House Democrats have finally stopped playing politics with sexual assault victims,” Cornyn said in a statement. “This funding to test kits sitting on shelves can put violent offenders behind bars and give survivors peace of mind that their attacker is off the streets.”

Advocates say the program is vitally important. A report from the federal Government Accountability Office this year found that the number of backlogged requests for crime scene DNA analysis at state and local government labs increased by 85 percent — from about 91,000 to about 169,000 — from 2011 through 2017.

The House bill has some minor differences from the version the Senate passed, which the two chambers will have to hash out. But it is nonetheless now significantly closer to the president’s desk.

“I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate to reconcile any differences and ensure these critical programs are authorized as soon as possible,” Cornyn said.