Following is testimony given by Kathleen Goodwin, Special Assistant to the Baltimore City Health Commissioner, Dr. Leana Wen. The statement was presented to the House Judiciary Committee on behalf of Dr. Wen on February 21, 2017.

Chair Vallario and members of the Committee,

I am Special Assistant to the Baltimore City Health Commissioner, Dr. Leana Wen.

On behalf of Dr. Wen, we would like to express our strong support for House Bill 255 to standardize storage of Sexual Assault Evidence Kits for custodians statewide for 20 years.

According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010, approximately 20 percent of women in Maryland were victims of rape at some point in their lives and over half were victims of sexual violence other than rape.

The following are three reasons for the Baltimore City Health Department’s support of this bill:

1. Twenty years of storage accords with federal guidelines from the Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016, signed into law by President Obama in 2016.

There is a large range of untested Sexual Assault Evidence Kits depending on political jurisdiction, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of response to sexual assault. This bill will provide a precedent to establish uniformity statewide, specifically the services and due process of the law that victims of sexual assault are entitled to receive. This legislation will empower victims by ensuring that they are able to press charges, even years after they are assaulted.

2. The second reason is to address physical and mental health, as well as emotional well-being.

Rape and sexual violence are associated with a host of health issues. As the CDC’s report notes, “Men and women who experienced rape…were more likely to report frequent headaches, chronic pain, difficulty with sleeping, activity limitations, and poor physical health and poor mental health.”

The Baltimore City Health Department is working to address trauma citywide, and this aligns with our strategy, a strategy that will benefit residents of Baltimore City and all residents of Maryland. House Bill 255 will help protect the mental health and emotional well-being of victims and their families in the aftermath of sexual assault by requiring the provision of essential information to victims regarding their rights related to Sexual Assault Evidence Kits.

3. Finally, this is a matter of racial equity and health justice. Throughout the United States, approximately 1 in 5 Black women and 1 in 3 multiracial women are victims of rape in their lifetime.

Because women of color are more likely to experience sexual assault, legislation such as House Bill 255 will most benefit marginalized populations, contributing to efforts to achieve health justice and racial equity.