Senator Republicans Re-refer DIY Rape Kit Bill to Committee
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 271-3207
CONCORD – Today, Senate Republicans voted to Re-refer to Committee SB 65, a bill to repeal the prohibition on the sale of over-the-counter rape test kits in New Hampshire.
After the vote, Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) issued the following statement:
“SB 65 gives victims of sexual assault false hope. We have no reason to believe any evidence collected in this way would be admissible in court. In fact, the NH Attorney General’s Office opposes this legislation, despite generally remaining neutral on policy issues. Sexual assault victims need specialized medical care, which is why the NH Department of Justice has a sexual assault protocol. This protocol carries the weight of law, outlines a multidisciplinary response to sexual assault, and assures that every victim of sexual assault in NH is provided with a forensic medical examination, if they choose to have one, at no cost to them.
This bill is not about acting in the best interest of sexual assault victims. This is about opening the door for private companies to make money off of rape—one of the most prevalent and misunderstood crimes in the country. In New Hampshire, 1 in 4 woman and 1 in 20 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime—with the vast majority of those assaults happening before the victim’s 18th birthday. Put another way, this bill seeks to make a competitive business market out of what should be the state’s response to a violent crime most often perpetrated against young women. This bill seeks to allow an out-of-state for-profit organization make money off of rape, and does not warrant any further conversation.”
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