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May 18, 2017
Good news! For the third consecutive year, Congress has fully funded the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) grant program. In the FY17 spending bill signed into law earlier this month, Congress allocated $45 million for SAKI, keeping intact this much-needed funding for communities to test backlogged kits, investigate and prosecute cases connected to the backlog, and re-engage survivors with the criminal justice system.
To date, 32 jurisdictions in 25 states across the country have received grants to tackle this critical work. Joyful Heart is grateful to the tireless activists, survivors, researchers, journalists, and policymakers who have advocated for this type of funding for decades, and who have lent their experience in helping to shape this important grant opportunity. We are honored to join them in this work. We applaud Congress for funding this urgently needed program. We look forward to working with members of Congress and our advocacy partners to continue this important investment for survivors and public safety, and to work toward eliminating the backlog for good.
