SAFER Act of 2012
Latest action. Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2012 or the SAFER Act of 2012 - (Sec. 2) Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to authorize the Attorney General to make Debbie Smith grants under such Act to states or local governments to: (1) conduct audits of samples of sexual assault evidence that are awaiting testing; and (2) ensure that the collection and processing of DNA evidence by law enforcement agencies from crimes, including sexual assault and other violent crimes against persons, is carried out in an appropriate and timely manner and in accordance with specified protocols and practices. Requires not less than 5% but not more than 7% of Debbie Smith grant funds distributed in FY2014-FY2017 to be awarded for such audits if sufficient applications to justify such amounts are received by the Attorney General, provided such award doesn't decrease funds for other distribution requirements.
Authorizes the Attorney General to award such a grant to a state or local government for auditing sexual assault evidence backlogs only if the recipient submits a plan for performing the audit and includes a good-faith estimate of the number of such samples. Sets forth provisions regarding grant conditions, including requirements that: (1) the government complete the audit within one year, assign a unique numeric or alphanumeric identifier to each sample awaiting testing, and identify any statutory deadlines for prosecuting a perpetrator to which a sample relates; and (2) the chief law enforcement officer of the state or local government be the individual responsible for compliance with reporting requirements.
Requires a grant recipient, at least every 60 days for 12 months after completing an initial count of the samples awaiting testing, to submit a report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the number of samples: (1) that such government has determined should undergo testing, (2) that such government has determined should not undergo testing, (3) that have been submitted for testing, and (4) for which testing has been completed.
The summary continues for 8 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed Senate amended" stage on December 30, 2012. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
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The record's latest action, on January 2, 2013: Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
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In the 112th Congress (2011-12), 283 of the 10,618 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
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Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
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Who is behind it?
John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced it on May 24, 2012, and 12 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 8 Democrats, 4 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 24, 2012, 5222 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4999 days ago, on January 2, 2013.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 112th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2013 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
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Vote history
- SenateMessage on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
- HouseNot stated in the latest action
- PresidentNot stated in the latest action