Santa Fe, NM - A bill by Representative Sarah Maestas Barnes to provide an additional $1.2 million to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to reduce the backlog of unprocessed rape kits in New Mexico unanimously passed the House Judiciary Committee today.
Maestas Barnes' request, HB 130, would allow DPS to hire additional full-time staff to process the backlog of over 5,000 untested rape kits in New Mexico. Some of these unprocessed kits date back to the 1980s.
"The existence of this backlog seriously hurts the victims of sexual violence," Maestas Barnes said. "When we allow these kits to remain untested after years, sometimes decades, we're allowing sexual predators to roam free to commit more crimes. This backlog is must be eliminated to bring these criminals to justice."
Also, the committee approved Maestas Barnes' request to provide $1 million to the Department of Health to contract with rape crisis centers across the state to provide trauma-informed counseling services to victims of sexual assault. The funding would be used by the centers to meet the increased need for victim services.
"The services provided by these centers are critical for rape survivors to heal from their traumatic experiences," said Maestas Barnes. "My goal with this appropriation is to ensure that victims of sexual assault have access to the resources necessary to help them through the recovery process."
