Special to the American Press

The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab has launched a statewide Sexual Assault Kit Tracking Program.

State Sen. Beth Mizell authored Senate Bill 169 (ACT 193) during the 2023 Legislative Session, which was passed and signed into law by former Gov. John Bel Edwards. This legislation mandates the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab administer and implement the program by July 1, 2024. Furthermore, it requires all law enforcement agencies, crime labs, prosecutors, and SANE/medical personnel to participate in the program.

The system is a comprehensive, statewide, web-based program that allows sexual assault survivors to anonymously track the location and status of their SAK through the criminal justice system from the time of collection, through forensic testing, and back to law enforcement.  The system does not collect any personally identifiable information, ensuring survivors can track their kits anonymously. The Tracking System and the Survivor Portal are available on the LSP.org public website under the Services tab. Departmental users must request access, complete an online training video, and receive approval from LSP Crime Lab Administrators.

During the 2024 Regular Legislative Session, Mizell authored Senate Bill 124 (ACT 669), which was signed into law by Landry. This Act creates the “Survivors Bill of Rights,” which requires that investigating agencies take possession of a kit within 72 hours of collection at a medical facility. This timeline complements the 2023 SB 169, which mandates law enforcement to submit the reported kit within 30 days to the respective crime lab for forensic analysis.