New report details successful elimination of sexual assault kit backlog, recommends further legislative action

Almost a year after Washington state finally eliminated its backlog of untested sexual assault kits, the Attorney General’s Office has released the latest report from the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) Best Practices Advisory Group detailing how the backlog was addressed and making further policy recommendations to support victims and survivors.

The SAFE Advisory Group was established by the Legislature in 2015 when there was a backlog of more than 10,000 kits. At that time, Washington faced significant challenges with inventorying, tracking, and testing sexual assault kits, and lacked up-to-date information on the status of related investigations. Over the past decade, SAFE members have helped the state make significant improvements in the handling of sexual assault investigations. The Attorney General’s Office administers the group, which includes survivors, legislators, community-based advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, and medical providers.

The last of those kits in the backlog was tested in January 2025 by the Washington State Patrol. As a result of this effort, at least 22 cases have been solved, a number that is expected to grow , and thousands of DNA profiles have been uploaded to the national database to help assist with investigations.

“We have seen impressive progress. The backlog of previously untested sexual assault kits has been eliminated. But the work is far from over,” AG Nick Brown said. “My office remains committed to justice and healing for victims and survivors. We know that it will take all of us working together to end sexual violence.”

The Legislature has acted on, either fully or in part, 41 of the advisory group’s 50 recommendations over the past 10 years. They have helped eliminate the previous backlog, prevent future backlogs, increase support services for victims and survivors, adopt a mandatory and comprehensive trauma-informed and victim-centered training for all law enforcement investigating sexual assault, enact a survivor bill of rights, and eliminate specific statutes of limitations for bringing civil and criminal cases.

However, the advisory group found victims and survivors still lack consistent and equitable access to forensic examiners who are trained to provide trauma-informed medical care and collect sexual assault kit evidence. Victims face long wait times and may be turned away from hospitals not equipped to offer this specialized care.

The problem of health care access remains a primary concern as many forensic programs continue to be under extreme strain. It is possible that as many as 14 rural hospitals will close in the coming years because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s cuts to Medicaid and other health care programs.

The report includes eight recommendations for legislative action:

1. Establish a statewide forensic examiner coordinator.
   1. Establish a “TeleSANE” program to increase patient access to a trained sexual assault forensic examiner (sometimes referred to as a SANE).
   2. Establish a forensic examiner training grant program.
   3. Provide adolescents aged 13 and older the ability to independently consent to all types of medical forensic examinations, consistent with the current age of consent for sexual assault examinations.
   4. Maintain Victims of Crime Act funding for Washington to retain community-based services for crime victims in response to significant reductions in federal funding.
   5. Expand the definition of “sexual assault survivor” within the survivor bill of rights to include victims and survivors of female genital mutilation and cutting.
   6. Eliminate financial obstacles survivors may face accessing medical records.
   7. Reauthorize the SAFE Advisory Group.

In August, Brown filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s attempt to block access to more than $1 billion that Congress intended to go to victims and survivors of crimes under the Victims of Crime Act.

Legislative authorization for the Attorney General’s Office to administer the SAFE Advisory Group expires on July 1, 2026. The Attorney General’s office and SAFE members are requesting the Legislature continue the group.

The 2025 report is available here.

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