This bill directs the Department of Public Safety to establish, operate and maintain a sexual assault forensic examination kit tracking system for all completed kits regardless of whether the alleged offense related to the kit was reported to a law enforcement agency. The tracking system must be continuously accessible to approved users. The department is required to submit a report by January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice and public safety matters and the Governor concerning information related to the status of sexual assault forensic examination kits reported in the tracking system. The bill provides requirements for the tracking system and requires the department to adopt routine technical rules, including rules regarding participation in the tracking system, confidentiality and the operation of the tracking system. The bill directs that, by June 1, 2026, a law enforcement agency that receives, maintains, stores or preserves sexual assault forensic examination kits must complete an inventory of all kits in its possession and report its findings to the Department of Public Safety. The department must compile all agency reports and present findings of the inventory by January 1, 2027 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice and public safety matters and at the same time post the report on the department's publicly accessible website. Public Law 2023, chapter 236 changed a provision in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title
25 to require law enforcement agencies to store sexual assault forensic examination kits for
20 years. For consistency with that provision, this bill amends a provision in Title 24 to require law enforcement agencies to store sexual assault forensic examination kits for 20 years.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1816, SP 707: 24.2986, 25.3821