ALBANY, NY (March 17, 2026) — Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) announced that legislation aimed at improving accountability in the handling of sexual offense evidence has been signed into law.
The measure, now Chapter 646 of 2025 and Chapter 47 of 2026, establishes new requirements for tracking rape kits and sets clear timelines for hospitals and law enforcement to ensure evidence is properly handled and processed.
“For too long, evidence kits have fallen into gaps in the system, denying sexual offense victims the certainty they deserve,” Paulin said. “This law closes those gaps by establishing clear responsibilities and timelines so that survivors can have confidence that the evidence will be available to them.”
New York created a statewide sexual offense evidence tracking system in 2023 under Chapter 730 of 2022. Previously, the system only tracked kits once they were in law enforcement custody. Hospitals were not required to notify law enforcement when a rape kit was collected and ready for pickup, and there was no required timeframe for law enforcement to retrieve the kits.
According to the NYPD, hundreds of rape kits were left in hospital storage because law enforcement had not been notified of their presence.
Under the new law, hospitals must record the collection of reported rape kits in the statewide electronic tracking system and notify law enforcement within 48 hours when a victim consents to release the evidence. Law enforcement must retrieve the kit within 10 days and report it in the statewide tracking system.
The legislation also addresses cases in which survivors initially choose not to report an assault to law enforcement. In those situations, rape kits may be collected at hospitals but stored long-term by the Office of Victim Services.
Previously, if a survivor later chose to report the crime, there was no defined process for transferring those “unreported” kits to law enforcement, creating a risk they could be lost during the transition.
The new law requires that when the Office of Victim Services releases an unreported kit to law enforcement with a survivor’s consent, it must immediately be designated as a reported kit and be subject to all tracking requirements.
“This law is about justice and accountability for sexual offense survivors,” Paulin said. “I am deeply grateful to Governor Hochul for signing this bill and for her support to strengthen the state’s rape kit tracking system. Survivors deserve a system that works for them at every step and puts their rights and peace of mind at its center.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said the law clarifies protocols for handling evidence in sexual assault cases.
“The NYPD is committed to supporting all survivors of sexual assault, but for too long there were gaps in the protocols required for handling the evidence needed to solve these vital cases,” Tisch said. “Thanks to the Sexual Offense Evidence Collection Kit Tracking law, we will now have the necessary clarity on timelines and processes for the collection of sexual assault kits that will be crucial in getting justice for survivors. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this bill into law and the sponsors of this important legislation, New York State Senator Gounardes and New York State Assemblymember Paulin, for their dedication and partnership on this issue.”
Ilse Knecht, policy and advocacy director for the Joyful Heart Foundation, said tracking systems are an important part of the recovery process for survivors.
“Rape kit tracking systems are more than administrative tools––they are vital components to a survivor’s healing process,” Knecht said. “After leaving the hospital and undergoing an invasive exam, many survivors will never receive an update on the status of their rape kit.”
“Having access to information about the status and location of their rape kit can help survivors counter the loss of self-determination and control that is often at the core of a sexual assault experience,” she added. “The passage of A9480/S8765 is a victory for survivors, and we are deeply grateful to Assemblywoman Paulin for her leadership and commitment to closing this gap in the law.”
The legislation was sponsored in the New York State Senate by State Senator Andrew Gounardes and will take effect six months after enactment.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.