The Metropolitan King County Council unanimously approved $200,000 in funding for identification of untested rape kits.

The funds are to be spent on sexual assault experts in the King County Sheriff’s Office to identify the exact number of untested rape kits remaining in King County, prioritize those cases for testing and submit them to the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory for processing.

Rape kits are intended for use immediately after a sexual assault has occurred, but once the evidence has been collected, it can sit in storage for years. Across the country, thousands of rape kits – DNA evidence collected by a health care professional after a sexual assault – go untested each year.

In jurisdictions like New York City, Dallas and Tacoma, the analysis of previously untested rape kits has led to the identification of new offenders, linking of serial cases and exoneration of the wrongly convicted.

“It’s important that any rape kits that contain information that could bring a perpetrator to justice be tested,” said Councilman Reagan Dunn. “I believe this illustrates how serious we are as a community in taking steps to bring to justice those who commit these violent acts.”

The Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 1068 during the 2015 session requiring all new rape kits to be submitted for testing to the state patrol laboratory within 30 days of being collected by law enforcement.

“The goal of this law is two-fold: justice for the victims whose lives were dramatically impacted by sexual violence, and help for law enforcement to catch serial rapists before they strike again,” said Rep. Tina Orwall, sponsor of House Bill 1068.