Assembly Passes Measures On Rape Kits, Health Data Regulation
Under the proposal, law enforcement agencies would be required to report how many rape kits they collect and give a reason for those not sent to a crime lab. In other news, lawmakers also passed a bill protecting the information that is collected from wearable devices such as Fitbit.
The Associated Press:
Bill Mandating Rape-Kit Data Clears California Assembly
The California Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a proposal requiring local police departments to report how many rape kits they collect and give a reason for every kit that goes untested in an effort to reduce the accumulation of untested DNA samples taken in sexual assault cases. Under the proposal from Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, law enforcement agencies would tell the state Department of Justice the number of DNA samples they collect in sexual assault cases. They would be required to give a reason for every kit not sent to a crime lab every four months they are not tested. (Noon, 5/12)
Capital Public Radio:
Thursday Bill Round-Up: Fitbits, Emissions Fines, And Rape Kits
The Assembly passed measures on Thursday to protect health information, increase data about rape kits, and crack down on polluters after the Volkswagen emissions scandal. When police departments investigate rape, the legislation would require them to track the number of rape kits in their custody and report it to a federal database. Departments would also need to specify a reason for each kit that hasn’t been tested. ... Bracelets and key fobs that track heart rate, distance traveled—even sleep patterns—have gone from non-existent a few years ago to a billion dollar industry. California lawmakers are looking to add rules about what happens to the data they collect. (Bradford, 5/12)