New Jersey Gov. Murphy signs bill formalizing a tracking system for rape kits

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill ordering the Attorney General’s Office to establish an online database to keep track of sexual assault forensic evidence kits, commonly referred to as rape kits.

Murphy, who signed the bill Thursday, said the legislation is a “well overdue bill.”

“In collaboration with the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance, the Division of Criminal Justice, and other law enforcement officials, survivors will have access to a dedicated tracking system to stay informed through every step of their pursuit of justice,” the governor said.

The bill, originally proposed in September of 2022, was reintroduced in the current legislative session in January 2024. It requires the Attorney General’s Office to establish an online tracking system for rape kits that is accessible to the victim, law enforcement and “as deemed appropriate by the Attorney General,” employees of a health care facility or lab.

The tracking system will help the justice system gain some confidence from survivors, according to Solange Ramkissoon, a survivor services specialist with the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

“It’s going to foster a greater transparency, efficiency, accountability and the handling of sexual assault evidence,” she said. “Thereby, it’s going to be more empowering for survivors when engaging in our systems in New Jersey.”

Ramkissoon works with survivors of sexual violence directly. She is often one of the first people survivors contact because many don’t feel comfortable turning to a family member or a friend.

“Even though they may love them and they want to be there for them, sometimes that’s not what the survivor wants because they feel a lot of shame,” she said. “They feel violated, so the last thing they want to do is also burden someone they love with this pain as well.”

The state received a $2 million federal grant to establish a tracking system for rape kits in 2023. Later that year, Attorney General Matt Platkin directed county prosecutors to store untested rape kits for 20 years while also imposing new rules for handling kits.

Platkin said his office has been “coordinating with multiple state agencies” to implement the tracking system.

A completion date for the system has not been established, according to attorney general spokesman Michael Symons.

Ramkissoon said a change in procedure was needed after Platkin’s directive in storing kits.

“Now that Jersey has a longer retention rate for kits, there are now more kits to manage than prior,” she said. “This tracking system that’s going to be put in place is to ensure better practices are upheld for survivors and the state when handling evidence and disclosures.”