Reunion Online

States across the country are proposing and enacting legislation to tackle the estimated 400,000 untested rape kits nationwide.

NEW YORK - The United States leads the world in the use of rape kits to gather DNA and forensic evidence from victims of sexual assault, but hundreds of thousands of those kits remain untested, some for years, according to researchers.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo joined by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today signed into law a historic bill that makes New York State the first "all crimes DNA" state in the nation, by requiring DNA samples be collected from anyone convicted of a felony or Penal Law misdemeanor. In addition, the new law also significantly expands defendants' access to DNA testing and comparison both before and after conviction in appropriate circumstances, as well as to discovery after conviction where innocence is claimed.

In a Red Room jam-packed with law enforcement officials and victims advocates, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pressed the case for his expansion of the state DNA database to include samples from all misdemeanor and felony convictions — and resisted calls to expand the legislation to include other criminal justice reforms.

New York State Senator John Flanagan and local law enforcement are calling for an expansion to the DNA database in the hope of solving more cases.

The New York State Senate passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Steve Saland (R-I-C, Poughkeepsie) and Senator Martin Golden (R-C, Brooklyn), for the largest expansion of the state’s DNA databank since it was created in 1994. The legislation mirrors the databank expansion plan proposed by Governor Cuomo in his Executive Budget to require people convicted of all felonies, as well as all misdemeanors in the penal law to submit DNA samples.

The New York State Senate today passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Steve Saland (R-I-C, Poughkeepsie) and Senator Martin Golden (R-C, Brooklyn), for the largest expansion of the state’s DNA databank since it was created in 1994. The legislation mirrors the databank expansion plan proposed by Governor Cuomo in his Executive Budget to require people convicted of all felonies, as well as all misdemeanors in the penal law to submit DNA samples.

Law and Order SVU actress Mariska Hargitay is asking politicians to support an expansion of the current DNA registry so that real life crime fighters can have a better shot at catching wrong doers.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed making New York State the first state in the country to expand its DNA database to include anyone who has been convicted of a crime. In his annual State of the State Address, Cuomo said he would seek to expand the database to cover all crimes which would result in preventing future crimes and would help exonerate wrongfully accused individuals.

"I am 100% confident that of the elected DA's across the state will be supportive of this legislation," said Broome County District Attorney Gerry Mollen as he gathered with local law enforcement leaders Tuesday to voice their support for Governor Andrew Cuomo's All Crimes DNA Bill.