FUNDING DNA RAPE PROBES

A bill approved by the Senate would provide $335 million to state and local laboratories to analyze DNA evidence in unsolved rape cases.  This would potentially identify or clear suspects in hundreds of thousands of sexual assault cases.  The bill is aimed at reducing a national backlog of up to 500,000 untested rape kits, where DNA and other evidence from a victim or crime scene is collected and labeled.  Up to $275 million would be spent over five years to allow labs to analyze DNA evidence.  Another $50 million would be authorized to improve training for collection and handling of such evidence, and $10 million would be used to build up a national databank of DNA samples collected from felons.