$1B FOR ‘RAPE KIT’ TESTING

Approving a bill to provide nearly $1 billion over the next five years to test rape kits, the House yesterday jumped into the long-standing issue of warehoused and untested DNA samples from crime scenes.  Under the bill, passed 357-67, police crimes labs across the county will be able to start tackling the estimated 500,000 rape kits being housed in evidence rooms.  New York City has taken the lead in examining about 16,000 kits that were sitting on city warehouse shelves.  The bill would also proved funds to train criminal and medical personnel in the use of DNA evidence and money to allow inmates access to DNA testing in an effort to establish their innocence.