User Clip: 091019 Cornyn Discussed The Debbie Smith Act

"Since the Debbie Smith Act was signed into law in 2004, more than $1 billion has been invested in State and local crime labs for DNA testing. This program also supports training for law enforcement, correctional personnel, forensic nurses, and other professionals who work with victims of sexual assault. Though the primary goal of the program is to reduce the rape kit backlog and identify attackers, processing this DNA evidence can assist investigations into other nonviolent crimes as well.”

- “In addition to helping us get more criminals off the streets, this information could also be the key to exonerating individuals who were wrongly accused and preventing innocent people from being put behind bars for a crime they didn't commit. DNA evidence is very, very powerful.”

- “States have seen the positive results of this program at the national level and have been following suit. Texas has led the Nation in passing mandatory rape kit testing laws, conducting audits of the backlog, and usi close