H.R. 5721 would require applicants for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on their efforts to track and test sexual assault kits. Under the JAG program, DOJ awards grants to state, territorial, local, and tribal governments to support a variety of criminal justice and law enforcement activities. The bill would require those entities, as part of their grant application, to report on whether they have completed an inventory of sexual assault kits in their possession, including whether the kits have been tested and the victim has been notified of the results. Under the bill, an applicant would be ineligible for a grant if DOJ determined it has not completed the activities in the report. Additionally, H.R. 5721 would require DOJ to publish an annual report, beginning two years after enactment, on applicants’ compliance with the bill’s requirements.
