HARRISBURG – A bill sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) to establish a statewide rape kit evidence tracking system was signed into law as Act 122 of 2024.
Act 122 of 2024 allows survivors to track the status of their rape kits throughout the testing process, from collection to destruction. With this legislation, Pennsylvania will join 35 states and the District of Columbia that have already implemented rape kit tracking systems.
“Act 122 strengthens our commitment to empowering survivors and holding offenders accountable,” Langerholc said. “Establishing a rape kit tracking system in Pennsylvania will enable sexual assault survivors to monitor the status of their kits during an investigation, bringing transparency and accountability to the process.”
In addition to creating a rape kit tracking system, Act 122 brings Pennsylvania into compliance with the Fairness for Rape Kit Backlog Survivors provision of the recent Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization.
To comply with VAWA, the bill provides a waiver for survivors who file untimely claims for compensation due to delays in rape kit testing. Survivors will not need to undergo an appeal process for consideration of this waiver.
Act 122 also empowers survivors by clarifying existing rights and enshrining new statutory rights for survivors of sexual assault.
Langerholc joined Gov. Josh Shapiro and Erika Brosig, Chief Operating Officer from Victim Services Inc. for a ceremonial bill signing in the Governor’s Reception Room.
“The very nature of sexual assault is that it takes away power from the survivor. Having this tracking system will give survivors some of their power back and facilitate healing right from the start. We are so grateful for Senator Langerholc’s unwavering support for sexual assault survivors in the commonwealth. He has truly been a champion for the movement,” said Erika Brosig.
Act 122 builds on Langerholc’s leadership in supporting survivors of sexual assault. In 2018, he sponsored Act 164 to streamline the process of collecting sexual assault evidence and require regular reporting on related data. In 2019, he sponsored Act 29, which enacted a comprehensive bill of rights for survivors in Pennsylvania.
CONTACT: Gwenn Dando