SAFER Act of 2017
Latest action · Jan 8, 2018 Became Public Law No: 115-107.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedSep 6, 2017
- Passed SenateOct 23, 2017
- Passed HouseDec 21, 2017
- To the PresidentDec 27, 2017
- Became lawJan 8, 2018Public Law 115-107
Summary
Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017 or the SAFER Act of 2017
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004 to require the Department of Justice (DOJ), in providing information about the role of forensic nurses to certain health-related entities, to provide information about the role of both adult and pediatric forensic nurses. DOJ must also provide additional information on the need for pediatric sexual assault nurse examiners in responding to the abuse of both children and adolescents.
(Sec. 3) Additionally, the bill amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to reauthorize through FY2022 the requirement for DOJ to allocate a certain percentage of funds under the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program for grants to audit backlogged sexual assault kits (i.e., rape kits).
It extends from 2018 to 2023 the sunset date of DOJ's authority to award grants to collect DNA of arrestees and to audit backlogged rape kits.
Cosponsors 17
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Sep 6, 2017 to Oct 3, 2017; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Sep 6, 2017 |
| R-NV | Dean Heller | Original | Sep 6, 2017 |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Original | Sep 6, 2017 |
| R-UT | Orrin G. Hatch | Sep 11, 2017 | |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | Sep 12, 2017 | |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Sep 19, 2017 | |
| R-OH | Rob Portman | Sep 19, 2017 | |
| R-IA | Chuck Grassley | Sep 28, 2017 | |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Sep 28, 2017 | |
| R-LA | John Kennedy | Sep 28, 2017 | |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Sep 28, 2017 | |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Sep 28, 2017 | |
| R-TX | Ted Cruz | Sep 28, 2017 | |
| R-NC | Thom Tillis | Sep 28, 2017 | |
| D-NH | Margaret Wood Hassan | Oct 2, 2017 | |
| R-MO | Roy Blunt | Oct 2, 2017 | |
| R-AK | Lisa Murkowski | Oct 3, 2017 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Sep 6, 2017Markup Sep 28, 2017Reported Sep 28, 2017 |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Oct 25, 2017 |
Actions 19
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 8, 2018Signed by President.
- Jan 8, 2018Became Public Law No: 115-107.
- Dec 27, 2017Presented to President.
- Dec 21, 2017Mrs. Handel moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Dec 21, 2017Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H10362-10364)
In the Congressional Record 5
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House · Senate | Debate and remarks H10362–H10364, H10405, S8207Text printed H10362 | Dan Sullivan R-AK, Karen C. Handel R-GA, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Ted Poe R-TX | Dec 21, 2017 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S7862 | John Cornyn R-TX | Dec 6, 2017 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6785 | John Cornyn R-TX | Oct 25, 2017 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6717Text printed S6717Amendments S6717 | Steve Daines R-MT | Oct 23, 2017 |
| Senate | Text printed S5006 | John Cornyn R-TX (text) | Sep 6, 2017 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Oct 6, 2017S. 1766, Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017As reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on September 28, 2017
CRS reports 3
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 3
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL34619 | Use of the Capitol Rotunda, Capitol Grounds, and Emancipation Hall: Concurrent Resolutions, 101st to 119th Congresses | Report | Feb 6, 2026 |
| R41800 | The Use of DNA by the Criminal Justice System and the Federal Role: Background, Current Law, and Grants | Report | Apr 18, 2022 |
| R44237 | Sexual Assault Kits (SAKs) and the Backlog of Untested Sexual Assault Evidence: In Brief | Report | Feb 7, 2022 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 3541 | SAFER Act of 2017 | Related bill | Jul 28, 2017 |
Titles 13
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title
- An act to reauthorize the SAFER Act of 2013, and for other purposes
- Short Title
- Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to reauthorize the SAFER Act of 2013, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- SAFER Act of 2017
- Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- SAFER Act of 2017
- Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017
- SAFER Act of 2017
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- SAFER Act of 2017
- Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017
- SAFER Act of 2017
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Assault and harassment offenses
- Child health
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Crime victims
- Crimes against children
- Crimes against women
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Domestic violence and child abuse
- Evidence and witnesses
- Health information and medical records
- Health personnel
- Law enforcement administration and funding
- Medical tests and diagnostic methods
- Sex offenses
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Oct 25, 2017Referred in House
- Oct 23, 2017Engrossed in Senate
- Sep 28, 2017Reported to Senate
- Sep 6, 2017Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
