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Founder of H-E-A-R-T and sexual assault survivor. An interview with Debbie Smith, a sexual assault survivor, the founder of H-E-A-R-T (Hope Exists after Rape Trauma), and a longtime advocate for the elimination of DNA testing backlogs. Would you tell me the story about what happened to you?
Nov 3, 2023 · The reauthorization of the Debbie Smith Act of 2023 will provide grants to state and local public crime laboratories to build capacity to analyze DNA samples in evidence kits. The Debbie Smith Act was last reauthorized in 2019 and expires this fiscal year.
Why it matters: The Debbie Smith Act creates the primary program to end the backlog of untested and unanalyzed DNA evidence. When it passed: 2004; reauthorized in 2008 and 2014 DNA evidence is often critical for achieving justice in crimes of sexual violence, but there are still challenges in the way it’s used to hold perpetrators accountable.
Sep 6, 2019 · Today Debbie Smith, a survivor and advocate, alongside RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, held a press conference announcing delivery of over 32,000 signatures from citizens across the nation urging Congress to pass the Debbie Smith Act when it returns next week.
Dec 31, 2019 · The Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2019, named after a victim of rape in 1989 where the evidence wasn't tested until 1994, also funds DNA training and education programs, as well as the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Grant Program. The Rape Kit Backlog State-By_State. ABC News, End the Backlog.
AUSTIN- U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after President Trump signed the Debbie Smith Act of 2019 into law yesterday: “This landmark legislation has provided more than a decade of support for survivors, serving as a critical tool in the fight to end backlogs of untested kits in cities across America,” said ...
Sep 7, 2019 · DNA evidence untested for years. Evidence finally tested, suspect identified and convicted. Her story helped inspire the federal Debbie Smith Act, first passed in 2004, to provide funding for...
