A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate funds to the Department of justice FOR CAPITAL AND OPERATING EXPENSES to eliminate the current backlog of untested rape kits and to continue to provide testing of rape kits on a timely basis, AND TO DIRECT THE STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO SURVEY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICES STATEWIDE TO DETERMINE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE BACKLOG OF UNTESTED RAPE KITS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Justice for the 2003‑2004 fiscal year the sum of one hundred sixty‑nine thousand six hundred thirty dollars ($169,630) and for the 2004‑2005 fiscal year the sum of six hundred twelve thousand three hundred forty‑eight dollars ($612,348) to provide operating costs to eliminate the current backlog of untested rape kits and to continue to test rape kits on a timely basis.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Justice for the 2003‑2004 fiscal year the sum of three million six hundred thousand dollars ($3,600,000) for capital expenditures for facilities for rape kit testing and related purposes.
SECTION 3.  The State Bureau of Investigation shall survey local law enforcement offices statewide to determine the magnitude of the backlog of rape kits.  The survey shall be completed by January 1, 2004.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2003.