{"id":425,"date":"2020-11-24T10:45:48","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T15:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncdoj.gov\/testthekits\/?page_id=425"},"modified":"2025-05-02T07:57:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T11:57:29","slug":"about-laws-in-north-carolina","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ncdoj.gov\/testthekits\/about-laws-in-north-carolina\/","title":{"rendered":"Laws in North Carolina"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Department of Justice has undertaken several initiatives in the past years to end the sexual assault kit backlog, give sexual assault victims and survivors more legal tools and protections to process their crime, and help the criminal justice system hold offenders accountable and keep the public safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survivor Act<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 2019 mandated kit inventory identified approximately 16,000 untested sexual assault kits in local law enforcement offices around the state. Then-Attorney General Stein drafted and championed the Survivor Act<\/strong>, which became law in 2019. The Survivor Act is aimed at testing all untested kits in North Carolina and preventing backlogs from occurring in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n

Survivor Act<\/h3>
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June 28, 2017<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Backlog Audit Begins<\/h2>

The legislature in coordination with NC DOJ enacted Session Law 2017-57 to require every law enforcement agency to report to the State Crime Lab how many untested kits were in its possession.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

June 25, 2018<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Obtained Legislative Approval<\/h2>

AG Stein obtained legislative approval to begin kit tracking and the legislature authorized creation of a working group. The legislature failed to fund any outsourcing of old kits.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

October 1, 2018<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Launched Kit Tracking<\/h2>

AG Stein launched a new statewide sexual assault kit tracking system that barcodes all new sexual assault evidence collection kits. Survivors and actors in the criminal justice system can now track these kits, in real time, increasing transparency and accountability.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

October 4, 2018<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Awarded SAKI Grant Funding<\/h2>

AG Stein announced $2 million in grant funding from the US DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) to test untested kits.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

January 29, 2019<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Survivor Act Announced<\/h2>

AG Stein, joined by bill sponsors, Sens. Warren Daniel, Danny Britt, and Floyd McKissick and Reps. Jamie Boles, Mary Belk, Billy Richardson, and Carson Smith, unveiled the Standing Up for Rape Victims Act, or SURVIVOR Act, to test older kits and prevent future backlogs.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

February 2, 2019<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Inventory of Untested Kits Completed<\/h2>

AG Stein announced the results of the State Crime Lab’s audit, which found a backlog of ~15,000 untested sexual assault kits located across the state. AG Stein asked the legislature to create a working group, fund kit testing, and authorize a tracking system.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

September 16, 2019<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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SURVIVOR Act Becomes Law<\/h2>

After passing the House and Senate unanimously on September 16, Gov. Roy Cooper signed the SURVIVOR Act into law. The law appropriates $6 million to outsource kit testing and institutes reforms of the rape kit testing process.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

January 2019-Present<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Testing Kits<\/h2>

Law Enforcement agencies across the state engage in renewed efforts to test untested kits. More than 16,000 old kits have already been tested and law enforcement announces solving of cold cases and arrests of rapists.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n