Press Release

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Health Committee unanimously approved AB 1769, a bill by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) to appropriate $14 million for Solano County to construct two integrated mental health residential facilities on the county’s social services campus.

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Public Safety Committee unanimously approved a bill by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) to clear a years-long backlog of rape kits that have not been tested.

Sponsored by Soroptimist International of Vacaville, which last year launched a successful campaign to clear a backlog of untested kits in their community, AB 1496 would mandate that all rape kits in law enforcement possession be sent to labs for testing within six months and for labs to process the kits quickly. It would also require rapid turnaround of all future rape kit evidence that is collected statewide.

“Collection of sexual assault forensic evidence can be a re-traumatizing experience for victims of sex crimes,” Frazier said. “Survivors expect kits to be tested quickly. Yet tens of thousands of rape kits remain untested in California. Requiring the prompt testing of the existing backlog of rape kit evidence will help law enforcement identify and convict serial offenders. Ensuring that future rape kits be tested promptly will help survivors receive justice.”

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay), chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, has introduced a bill to help protect people with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability from being targeted for sexual assaults.