STATEHOUSE (Feb. 14, 2025) – The Indiana House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously advanced State Rep. Becky Cash's (R-Zionsville) legislation to address the backlog of untested rape kits in Indiana.
According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and the Indiana State Police, 600 untested rape kits are waiting to be processed due to limited resources and funding for technicians and equipment. To address this backlog, House Bill 1413 would establish a grant fund for ISP to acquire additional resources to process these kits.
"Our crime labs are often unable to pay competitive wages, and the people working in these labs can get higher paying jobs elsewhere," Cash said. "Without enough equipment in the labs, kits can take six to eight months to be processed. This backlog has lingered for too long, and it's time we do something to ensure these Hoosiers receive justice."
The funds would be used for purchasing equipment, processing the kits, paying costs associated with streamlining the processing time and providing competitive wages for technicians. Cash said the grant program would need to be funded through the state's next biennial budget.
In addition to the fund, ISP would provide an annual report outlining the remaining untested or pending kits from the backlog. All rape kits in the possession of law enforcement and the testing labs as of July 1, 2025, would also need to be processed before the end of next year.
House Bill 1413 now moves to the Senate for further consideration. To learn more about the bill and follow session, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Becky Cash (R-Zionsville) represents House District 25,
which includes portions of Boone and Hendricks counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
