ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives today unanimously passed House Bill 827, authored by State Representative Scott Holcomb (D-Atlanta). HB 827, The Pursuing Justice for Rape Victims Act, ensures the timely processing of rape kits and seeks to end the rape kit backlog in Georgia.
“I am very proud that House Bill 827 passed unanimously out of the House today,” said Rep. Holcomb. “This bill has received bi-partisan support from the start, and has the strong support of law enforcement, care providers, and victims’ rights groups. It is very important for this bill to be enacted into law this year, and I am not going to stop working until that happens.”
HB 827 would require forensic medical exams to be given to law enforcement officials within 96 hours of receiving this evidence, should the victim request that law enforcement officials be notified. Under this legislation, law enforcement officials are then required to turn the evidence over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation within 30 days of receipt. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will be required to issue an annual report detailing the number of cases waiting to be tested.
HB 827 will now go to the Senate for consideration.
For more information about HB 827, please click here.
Representative Scott Holcomb represents the citizens of District 81, which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans, Higher Education, Juvenile Justice, and Public Safety & Homeland Security committees.
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