Garden State Times

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Declan O'Scanlon (R-13) that expands the rights of sexual assault survivors was signed into law on September 3, 2024.

"This crucial legislation guarantees that survivors of sexual assault are updated with necessary information throughout the legal process of their case," said Sen. O'Scanlon (R-13). "With this law in place, we are empowering survivors and ensuring that our criminal justice system is more responsive to their needs."

Senator O’Scanlon’s bill, S-1017, will now require sexual assault survivors, or their designee, to be informed about certain developments concerning the status and processing of evidence in their criminal case, upon their request. These developments include:

- If a DNA profile of an assailant was obtained from the processing of evidence in the sexual assault case;

- If a DNA profile of an assailant has been entered into any data bank designed or intended to be used for the retention or comparison of case evidence;

- If there is a match between the DNA profile of an assailant obtained in the sexual assault case and any DNA profile contained in any data bank designed or intended to be used for the retention or comparison of case evidence; and

- If sexual assault evidence is submitted to a forensic laboratory, whether that evidence is compared against any data bank, and the results of the comparison.

To speak with Sen. O'Scanlon, contact Chris Sivel, SRO Deputy Communications Director at [email protected].