Coalition Letter on Renewal of Debbie Smith Act

April 5, 2019

The Honorable Jerry Nadler
Chairman
House Committee on the Judiciary 
United States House of Representatives 
2132 Rayburn House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Karen Bass
Chairwoman
House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism & Homeland Security
United States House of Representatives 
2059 Rayburn House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Doug Collins
Ranking Member
House Committee on the Judiciary 
United States House of Representatives 
1504 Longworth House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable John Ratcliffe
Ranking Member
House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, & Homeland Security
United States House of Representatives 
223 Cannon House Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Nadler and Ranking Member Collins:

We, the undersigned groups and individuals representing the criminal justice and victim advocacy communities, respectfully urge Congress to support and pass H.R. 777, including the amended language contained in S.820, the “Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2019.”

As you know, since the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program was first authorized in 2004, it has provided states with desperately needed resources to carry out analyses of backlogged DNA evidence, particularly of untested sexual assault kits. In 2014, Congress showed its overwhelming bipartisan support for this initiative by passing the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act (P.L. 113-182), which extended this program through 2019. We ask for your continued support now for the bill’s reauthorization to 2024.

Forty two percent of all DNA matches made in the FBI’s national Combined DNA Index System, CODIS, are a direct result of funding from the Debbie Smith Act. 1 More than 192,000 matched profiles in CODIS were funded from the Debbie Smith Act grants.2 Crime laboratories have made tremendous progress towards increasing the amount of DNA samples that can be processed, but forensic DNA analysis has become a victim of its own success. Per the General Accounting Office’s recent March 2019 report, labs have seen their aggregated backlog requests increased from 91,000 to 1,689,000 between FY2011 and FY2017- an 85% increase in the demand for testing.3 As technology improves to identify smaller trace amounts of DNA at crime scenes, and as law enforcement agencies have learned the value of this evidentiary tool, state labs are now facing an increased influx of requests for DNA analysis and are processing DNA samples more than ever before. Additionally, recent state laws have been passed to prioritize sexual assault kit testing, requiring state labs to meet this increased demand.

Given the above reasons, it is imperative that Congress votes to reauthorize the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program through the passage of H.R. 777, with the amended language contained in S.820, which supports and empowers victims’ requests for answers and justice, and provides critical tools to law enforcement officials to identify and take sexual predators off America’s streets. We appreciate your leadership on behalf of victims of violent crime, and your commitment to ensuring the reauthorization of this landmark legislation.

Sincerely,

Scott Berkowitz 

President 

RAINN

 

Cc: Representative Carolyn Maloney; Representative Ann Wagner

 

Abuse & Rape Crisis Shelter of Warren County

Academy of Forensic Nursing

Advocates to End Domestic Violence/SARA

Alabama Coalition Against Rape

Alternatives to Violence Center AEDV

ASPEN

Bingham Crisis Center

Boundary County Youth Crisis & Domestic Violence Hotline Bridges Against Domestic Violence

Alliance for Community Transformations

Alternatives, Inc.

Artic Women In Crisis (AWIC)

Bay Area Women Against Rape

Bright Horizons Resources for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Inc.

Call for Help, Inc.

Canyon Creek Services

CEASE Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Inc.

Center for Abuse and Rape Emergencies

Center of Hope

Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault Choices, CDVPC, Inc.

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center

Collins Center

Crisis Center of Anderson & Cherokee Counties

Crisis Center of Comal County

Crisis Center of the Plains

Crisis Resource Center of Steele County

Day One

Deaf Smith County Crisis Center, Inc.

Denton County Friends of the Family

District 4 HRDC – Domestic Abuse Program

DNA Saves

Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS)

The DOVES Program

Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center

Eastland County Crisis Center

End Violence Against Women International

Every Woman’s Place

Families First, Inc.

Family Advocates, Inc.

Family Crisis Center, Inc. of Northeast Arkansas

Family Crisis Center, Inc.

Family Service & Children’s Aid Society/PPC Violence Free Network/Shelter 

Family Services of Tulare County

Freedom House

The Gateway Center, Inc.

Growing Strong Sexual Assault Center

Hannah’s Place, Inc.

Healing Hearts & Families

H-E-A-R-T, Inc.

Heartly House

Council on Domestic Violence for Page County

Crime Victim Center (St. Louis, MO)

Hope Unlimited

International Association of Forensic Nurses

International Organization for Victim Assistance (IOVA)

James House

Joyful Heart Foundation

Kedish House Domestic Violence Program

Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.

Libral Area Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Services, Inc

Lily Pad SANE Center, Inc.

liveSAFE Resources

Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Major Cities Chiefs Association

Matagorda County Women’s Crisis Center

Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence 

Mosaic Georgia

Moving to End Sexual Assault

Mutual Ground, Inc.

National Alliance to End Sexual Violence

National Center for Victims of Crime

National Children’s Alliance

National Criminal Justice Association

National District Attorneys Association

National Organization for Victim Assistance

North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Nebraska Rape/Domestic Abuse Program

Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence

North Coast Rape Crisis Team

NWA Center for Sexual Assault

Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence

Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Open Arms Rape Crisis Center & LGBT+ Services

Partnership of Ashe – A Safe Home for Everyone

PAVE

Piedmont Rape Crisis Center

Pike County Partnership Against Domestic Violence

Project Woman of Springfield and Clark County Promise Place

New Directions Center, Inc.

New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Pine Hills Advocacy Center

Project: SAFE

RAINN

Rape Crisis Services of Big Spring

Rape Recovery Center

Reach Counseling

Resilience, formerly Rape Victim Advocates

RISE-SLO

River House, Inc.

Safe Berks

Safe Connections

Safehouse Crisis Center, Inc.

Saint Landry Evangeline Sexual Assault Center

Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center (SARC), Inc.

Sexual Assault Center (Nashville, TN)

Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Eastern CT, Inc.

Sexual Assault Crisis Team of Washington County

Sexual Assault Support Center, Inc. (Columbus, GA)

Support, Advocacy & Resource Center (Richland, WA)

Tennessee Voices for Victims

Texas Association Against Sexual Assault The Abuse Network, Inc.

The Bridge to Hope

The Center for Family Justice

The Center For Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling And Education

The Cottage, Sexual Assault Center & Children’s Advocacy Center

The Gateway Center

The James House Intervention/Prevention Services, Inc.

The Multiracial Activist

The National Association to PROTECT Children

The Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center

The Women’s Center of Tarrant County

Tifton Judicial Circuit Shelter, Inc., – DBA Ruth’s Cottage; The Patticake House

Transitions of PA

Tri-County Help Center, Inc.

True North of Columbia

Verity

St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Victim Services

St. Martha’s Hall

Starting Point Services For Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence

Sublette County SAFV Task Force

The Nord Center, Sexual Assault Services

The Purple Door

Tu Casa, Inc.

U Care, Inc. DV & SA Program

Vermilion County Rape Crisis Center

Wabanaki Women’s Coalition Winnemucca Domestic Violence Services

WV Foundation for Rape Information and Services YWCA Greater Los Angeles

YWCA Metro St. Louis

YWCA New Hampshire

YWCA of the Sauk Valley

YWCA South Hampton Roads

Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk

Victims’ Intervention Program

Victims Resource Center

Wintergarden Women’s Shelter, Inc.

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Women’s Alliance, Inc. DBA: Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center

Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR)

WV Foundation for Rape Information and Services

Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

South Brevard Women’s Center, Inc.

YWCA Northeastern Massachusetts

YWCA Richmond

 

Footnotes:

1 See, Gerald LaPorte, et al. “National Institute of Justice’s 2017 Fiscal Year Report on “Funding for DNA Analysis, Capacity Enhancement and Other Forensic Activities.” National Institutes of Justice. 4 (April 2018). at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/251445.pdf. See also, Federal Bureau of Investigation. “CODIS-NDIS Statistics.” (February 2019). at: https://www.fbi.gov/services/laboratory/biometric-analysis/codis/ndis-statistics.

2 LaPorte at 4.

3 U.S. General Accounting Office, GAO-19-216: “DNA Evidence. DOJ Should Improve Performance Measurement and Properly Design Controls for Nationwide Grant Program.” 17-18 (March 2019). Available at https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-19-216.

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