TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ A bill that would require Florida law enforcement agencies to turn over rape kits for testing within 30 days is on its way to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk.
The House voted unanimously to pass the bill Wednesday, a week after the Senate also unanimously passed it.
The bill (SB 636) is one of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s top priorities.
The legislation was proposed after an audit released last fall showed that as many as 13,000 rape kits have gone untested in Florida.
The legislation would require that tests turned over to the state’s crime lab be tested within 120 days after they are submitted.
Legislators are also considering setting aside money to take care of the backlog of thousands of rape kits that have not been tested.