Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed off on Sen. Linda Stewart's bill to protect evidence from alleged sexual assaults for half a century.
SB 764, approved Friday by the Governor, requires the material to be "retained for a minimum of 50 years after the collection date" for those who do not report sexual assault initially.
"Within 30 days after collecting such a kit, the medical facility or certified rape crisis center that collected the kit must transfer the kit to the department, which must maintain the kit in compliance with this subparagraph. A sexual offense evidence kit that is transferred and retained pursuant to this subparagraph must be stored anonymously, in a secure, environmentally safe manner, and with a documented chain of custody," the bill stipulates.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be tasked with storing the kit.
"The 50-year DNA retention limitation for possible DNA evidence in non-reported sexual offenses provides a date certain for evidence disposal by the department while allowing a non-reporting alleged victim time to decide to report the sexual offense," a committee bill analysis explains.
The bill takes effect in July.
Statutes of limitations vary regarding the actionability of any late claims, with certain cases of sexual battery or assault against minors having no time limit, with limitations ranging from one to four years for crimes against adults based on the criminal classification of those acts.
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